I’m a curious person. I love being in groups. But talk about how we are different, yet the same. Usually, because I’m rather introverted, I listen first before I share my own words.

One time in a class at the University of Saint Thomas, a gentleman pointed out that my listening before speaking was because of white privilege, and that was the reason I was able to be a listener first. I said to him, “I can’t know how you feel if your words are scrambled, or hateful, or inconsistent, I can’t grow as a human being without you.”

I can’t add outside or beyond my privilege as a White, middle class, woman. If I don’t listen to your ideas, I need you to tell me when I’m ignorant or closed off, so I can commit to something.

Being something and doing something different.