Privilege......

It's day 67 but with a bit more activity. The "rules" are changing and businesses in our area/state are beginning to open up. At this point I can't keep track of what is OK and what is not....but I think restaurants are only open for take out or possibly outside dining. We still aren't planning a trip to a restaurant any time soon.

Walking Fenway one morning last week I went past some really big motor yachts that had been launched here in Port and were tied up all around the harbor. A few were really luxurious....and huge. Most were unoccupied, waiting for owners or crew to move them to their summer locations. As we went down the sidewalk next to the dock we passed two women talking to a man who happened to be sitting on his yacht's rear deck enjoying the sunshine.

We heard just a snippet of the conversation as I steered Fenway to the side in order to maintain our social distance. The captain was complaining that he couldn't find a restaurant open for breakfast and it was really hard to even find any carry out early in the morning. Again....it was just part of a larger conversation I'm sure, but his comment has been floating around in my brain ever since.

It's made me think about privilege in the time of COVID. The privilege of having a safe, comfortable place to live or not. The privilege of having enough food on the table and a secure source of income or not. The privilege of having alternate child care or a nanny if your nursery school is closed or not. The privilege of having adequate healthcare or not. It's all over our news how privilege affects so many around the world who are battling or worrying about this virus.

I spent two years living on a sailboat and that was a privilege. I know how it feels to be afloat at dockside and walk into a town for groceries or a meal. I know how special it is to be in that kind of exclusive community....people who can afford to buy a boat and sail off into the sunset. It is a privilege. Ours was not a luxury yacht....but wow, was she beautiful.

So I just keep thinking about this captain complaining about local "services" as he sat on a multi-million dollar yacht. I would like to know if he senses any kind of irony in his comments or a sort of tone-deaf privilege makes it impossible for him to see that his comment was just so out of place in spring 2020.

But then probably not....his yacht is gone now. He's off enjoying his cruising season and I'm sure his galley is well stocked even if he can't tie up in a Great Lakes harbor and find a meal to his liking.

I don't know.....it's just something that really "bothered" me.

Privilege in 2020 makes such a huge difference.