What “White Privilege” has Accomplished For Me

Unapologetically Me

I am me, and as always I am what I am supposed to be

I am me, strong and free because I choose to be

I am me, drug-free even though my father was a victim of the priesthood and an addict dead in a ditch at 50.

I am me, independent and wise because my mother and grandmother worked to teach me values.

I am me, college-educated because I love academics and I must love the 200k in students loans

I am me, the woman who did not even qualify for grants because my skin could not be boxed appropriately, but I kept going because I wanted to become a doctor.

I am me, a woman who qualified for disability in less than one month because of the severity of my disease.

I am me, a woman who gets no money from disability because I was $400 over the asset limit.

I am me, the woman who gets up every morning and works through the pain because this is the choice I made.

I am me, and I love being me so I walk through life with a smile on my face.

I am me, the woman who raised five children on my own and would do it again if needed.

I am me, but how do I define me?

I define the word me this way: integrity, truth, gratitude, beauty, soulful, honest, loving, strong, non-apathetic, intellectual, a hermeneutical hermit living life to the fullest.

I am me, a woman who expects results and takes no shit.

I am me, and the world stage demands their definition of me so they can put me in their “box”

I am me, so get out your biggest box!

Why? Because I am unapologetically a white, Celtic, Neo-Pagan, educated, heterosexual, conservative, strong woman

I am me, and I am this boxed version BUT

I am me, and as always I am what I am supposed to be!

Who are you? Can you define yourself without the box?

When compared side by side are you the real you or the boxed version of who they expect you to be?

Be brave, step up, step out

I am me, and I expect this of you.