I know, that sounds like a ridiculous title! Who feels privileged, right? I mean, we are all being made to stay home, how dare the government tell me I can’t meet with my family, go to my favorite restaurant, see my friends! This isn’t privilege, this is martial law!
Those are some of the things I saw on my social media feeds yesterday after my state asked that all non-essential businesses close, only essential personnel go to their place of work, and the rest of us stay home and don’t congregate anywhere. Okay, I know for some this feels like our privileges have been taken away. I know for some, they don’t trust any government issued statement, nor do they trust the media so they still think this is a hoax. Then there are those, like the spring breakers we all saw on TV, who don’t care and are going to do what they planned no matter what.
This isn’t a hoax, thousands have died in the world, 4000 alone in Italy. My little town has had 3 deaths already, all the same family. The larger community is scared. People may actually begin to realize that staying home and away from crowds is best. And this is where our actual privilege comes in to play. Most of us have homes to stay in. Most of us have food to sustain us. Most of us have a TV or computer to provide entertainment or knowledge. Most of us have family and friends we can reach out to and talk with when we are bored, lonely or frightened. Most of us. Not all. We have those most vulnerable who are still struggling with shelter, food, having nobody in the world to lean on. We should all be helping those in need, but during a crisis, many focus on themselves.
Whether you are one who is out and helping others with food, shelter, knowledge or you are helping yourself and your family, being of service is an opportunity to feel good through the crisis. Knowing you have people to support you, food in your refrigerator, a job to do remotely or one you will go back to once this is over, is all a privilege. What if we used this privilege to better ourselves, our lives and our communities? What if this privilege was an opportunity for us to reset, to become less self absorbed and more focused on the greater good? What if we used this privilege to practice being our best selves?
Many people around the world wonder where there next meal will come from, will that have a place of warmth to sleep and wonder if their family is safe. Many of us, here in the USA do not have those worries. What if those of us who do not need to worry about our survival used our privilege to help others? This is an opportunity for us, it should not be lost. Whether you can share a meal with someone, shop for someone who cannot, bring someone’s pet out for exercise, read a story to children who are scared, share your knowledge with the world or learn something knew online to share later, this is an opportunity for us to serve. This is a privilege that not everyone has, but if we do, this is the time to use that privilege for good. So many of us are selfish with our privilege. Oh I know, we may pay for our family and friends because we have more and think “I use my privilege to help.” And I guess I can say we do when we share with those we love. Perhaps this is the universe asking us to share our privilege more broadly. Share with those who need it most.
This pandemic may be an opportunity for all of us to collectively realize that our lives interconnect and it is time we live that way instead of the selfish, hoarding lifestyle many of us have become accustomed to. Learn and impart your knowledge. Feed you and others. Help you and others. Be of service and thus be your best self! That is what privilege can do for you and our communities right now.