Let’s talk about “privilege”. You may feel uncomfortable, but here is my honest insight. “Privileged” itself is not about good or bad. If you are privileged, you are privileged. It may not be your choice to be privileged, but you have been. So, what I ask in this account is simple: “Don’t Ignore It”. I am sharing stories so that we can “acknowledge” it in Sashiko. You can hate me, but don’t ignore/indifference the privilege. Otherwise, you will hurt others one day.
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I am extremely privileged. At least, I was. A Japanese male with a (once) wealthy family background living in Japan is privileged. In Sashiko, I am privileged, too, because it was “provided” to me. I didn’t want to do Sashiko, but I am privileged enough to come back when I decided to face to my fate (I explained the reason on Patreon).
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I feel, the privileged people have “a sort of responsibility” to what was provided. Minimizing/suppressing the minority’s voice is one neglect of that. Please remember. Those who can “solve” the C/A issue are also “privileged people”. No matter how loud I shout, I can be only a small stone in the big trend of Sashiko – because it is “English Market” who makes this flow. I feel a responsibility to pass down the numbers of unspoken voices from those who didn’t have an opportunity to speak up because of the language and other cultural barriers. I am NOT conservative in Sashiko. There are(were) a lot more “strict” people. However, their voices are not heard – buried in history.
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Again, there is nothing wrong with being privileged. Again, it may not be your choice, and you are not doing anything wrong for being privileged. It is just a fact. But, when you refuse to acknowledge it, then issues/pain occur. In this context, a chance to learn English is also a privilege. You do not have to worry about language to protect who you are. You are powerful. Your choice affects a big part of “privileged” people in developed countries. Therefore, I am learning English. Therefore, I speak up. You are the future of Sashiko, when you acknowledge it. I am relying on you. I would like to count on you.
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まーた長くなった……。
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2021-07-07 10:33:37
ながーい。それだけ文字が必要なんですね
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@abbe_ramanan You might find this interesting… 😀
Well said!
You put words of understanding together very well. I think you are right in that to get beyond things we need to accept our privilege, no matter what that might be and share it, not be defensive about it like it’s a bad thing
Your message is very clear❤️
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🙌 Recognizing that we are privileged is a necessary element of gratitude. Social justice can’t happen until people realize that often luck, not effort created our privilege. Everyone is equally worthy…the greater our gifts, the greater our responsibility to serve others.
Privilege is invisible to those who have it
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“It is just a fact. But, when you refuse to acknowledge it, then issues/pain occur.” I wish more people would understand that and instead of feeling hurt/defensive be grateful and use their privilege to lift others up. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
I think that privilege is a matter of birth. Someone wiser than me said that you should choose your parents well, which is of course impossible, but given the choice you should choose patents who provide you with good health and love. Those things are a privilege and will give you a strong base from which to find your own happiness. I do not believe that privilege has anything to do with money, sex, ethnicity, or any of those kinds of things, because without finding peace and happiness in yourself, you have nothing.
I also think that you should look again at the idea that others have ‘power’ over you. We ourselves choose how we react to others. Yes there are noisy, western people making lots of money out of teaching and writing books about Sashiko, but that does not diminish your authenticity. That is something they can never have and something that makes your voice more interesting to listen to. I am not rich or famous and have a tiny voice in the world, but my voice is authentic to my experience and that is what I have to offer anyone who is interested. Your voice reaches a large audience and continues to ensure that we appreciate the history of Sashiko and I think it is important that you continue with your message.
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Wise words. 🙌 to be honest, your stories made me stop doing “sashiko” stitches, at least for now. I decided to learn more first the stories behind, and learn more about Japanese culture. I feel like an anthropology student again, Thank you 🙂