Life's Been Good (And Easy)

I'll start with the obvious - I was born in the US, had a stable two parent home as a child, and was the oldest of four. Oh yeah, a boy to boot.

Having a few of the cultural privileges - being white of Western European descent and straight - sure didn't hurt. Technically, I'm not a WASP but I am a close relative - a WASC - having been raised Catholic, clearly less fraught here in the US than the remaining far-in-the-minority alternatives. Although there wasn't much WASP-like money around, the stability and love more than made up for that one missing link in my early privilege-rich life.  

I'm an extrovert in a world that rewards that more than the opposite temperament; I have no physical or mental disability; I'm right handed. If my fellow righties think that hasn't made your life easier, try finding a guitar teacher who accepts southpaws for students. Or, consider these loaded references - left-handed compliment, out in left field (which makes no sense since right fielders see a great deal less action), two left feet, gauche, etc.

The linguistic bias against "left" is subtle and no doubt seems silly to many. But consider this: There are many insidious and hateful messages embedded in everyday language and our toxic political environment often exacerbates this, when it's not facilitating it. And this helps make life easier for some people than for others. For me, life's been good and much easier than it has been for many. I'm so grateful.