Similar thing happened to me, Tim.

Though I’m aware of my privilege (I’m a straight, white male born in the UK) my early life was by no means easy. My mother was imprisoned then institutionalised when I was a teenager, and my brother and I were rendered homeless.

I spent most of my 20s visiting my mother in psychiatric institutions, and suffering from a severe mental illness.

Like your article points out, privilege is nuanced and manifests in all sorts of different ways. Life has taught me that most people you meet have a story, and that story often involves a great deal of suffering. I believe it’s important we don’t invalidate people’s experiences by simply lumping them into a broader category of privilege. Though, at the same time, we should still be grateful for the privileges that we do have, and use them to lift others up.

Thank you for sharing.