Privilege Cognizance

Last week, I had the unfortunate timing of being at the gym at the same time a High School JV lacrosse team came in to work out. My run now complete, soon to be free from their adolescent conversations — selfish complaints from the spoiled and wealthy, tempered only by what seemed to be a self-censor put in place to not expose their reality to strangers.

That censor was gone though, as most the adults had left the changing room and I was the only one in the shower to overhear a surprisingly candid conversation among who I assume by their looks were sophomores. A group of about 3 went back and forth declaring their name brand wants, when one kid said this as though he was reading a monologue:

Dude, face it. We buy stuff because of the brand. Most Dockers and Timberlands are basically the same, but we’ll pay 20% more for the Tims. Just because of the name, but that’s cool. We’re privileged, embrace it! We’re not paying for it, so what does it matter. One day, we’ll have to buy that stuff for ourselves; and then one day, we’ll be the ones buying it for someone else.