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A quick postscript to my last blog. This phrase came to me early this morning: the recent tsunami waves may have broken over me, but have not broken me. I am thankful for that. As I stand on the beach, brushing off the latest deposits of sand, seaweed and ocean detritus, I am super conscious of one fact. I am, in theory, of the kind of background that might have guaranteed late 20th/early 21st century success. I am white, an East Coast "WASP." My family had a uniquely challenging set of problems (which when I finally feel I can, I will talk more about), but my parents did emphasize education, which I have in excellent abundance. Although I now realize that I have been skirting around depression most of my life, I do not believe I am seriously mentally ill. I am not addicted to drugs or alcohol. I am not unwilling to work. Nevertheless, I have not yet thrived. Early privilege was just not enough to sustain a single, creative woman who had no family money, capitalist impulses or experiences of real job satisfaction; yet even today, it must at times pave my road in ways that I don't realize.

The point is, my background in this lifetime isn't African-American, Native American, Hispanic, Asian or Middle Eastern. I am not LGBTQ. All the indignities and uncertainties I have experienced over time must pale, pale in comparison to those experienced by Americans of these heritages or identities. I can only see -- and feel -- the tip of the iceberg. I need to acknowledge this fact, with humility. And to say that in my vision, everyone thrives. Absolutely everyone.