Melissa, I have a visual brain and a rather needy one too. Before I can understand something, I need some way to visualize it.

Since I can’t paste the picture here, you’ll have to hit this link to see how I see privilege. https://literacyadviser.wordpress.com/2015/06/25/creating-a-level-playing-field/

The way I see it, privilege has nothing to do with you or me, or any one of us. Privilege is all about the playing field (aka the system).

America is supposed to be a level playing field, a place where everyone plays by the same rules and umpires call clean shots – right? Well, privilege upended our level playing field, by creating advantages for some and disadvantages for others.

Now imagine this is a ski slope. Every racer has the same distance, same skis, same skills and same slope but privilege allows some skiers to ski down that mountain while everyone has to ski up it. Who would reach the goal first?

Since 99% of us are climbing up that mountain, you're right - you are working just as hard as people in front of you and behind you. But what about the people at the top?

Look at that playing field again and imagine you are at the top. Holy cow, the view up there is terrifying. Behind you is a cliff – jump off that cliff and you will surely die. In front of you are 340-million Americans climbing towards you. There is not enough room up there, and if they reach you, they will crowd you off the cliff. If you go downhill, the massive crowd will crush you to death. And if you do survive the crowd, the last place you want to be is at the bottom looking up to where you used to be. You will call the army, navy and marines to protect your place on the mountain, but eventually you will have no choice.

The uber-wealthy hate to admit it, but the only way out of the predicament of privilege, is to level the playing field. The choice is simple, give up your privileges or give everyone the same privileges.

Now be honest here, do you honestly think people at the top can compete on a fair and level playing field? I figure they have the same odds as we do. Just about one out of a million ultra-wealthy people could make it to a goal post. Considering how few ultra-wealthy people exist, those are such lousy odds, its no wonder they will do anything to keep their privileges.

I won’t stay on a playing field tilting so badly against me. Most of my working life, I’ve managed to stay off the playing field. As a result, I know there are other ways to live, happy, productive and meaningful lives.

The way I see it, if we level the playing field, a whole lot of us will walk off it and build new playing fields, new ways of life, and new ways of being.

Right now the playing field is tilted so badly, walking off it is like walking off a cliff. The only people who can leave safely, are those at the bottom.