I first learned the term “white privilege” during my first year at university. I don’t remember whether it was in a general education class, at an ASPSU (student government) meeting, or through the NAACP, but the revelation has always humbled me.

Today, I had another revelation.

I woke up before 7:00 a.m., caught the bus, and attended my French class. After class, I hurried back to Granville train station to pick up a lost phone, then spent the rest of the afternoon reading at Borders. My mom offered to deposit about $50 into my bank account for my birthday, but I told her I would prefer a card or a small gift she thought I would like. In the mail arrived Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell. I had already read Blink, so I quickly opened this book. If you ever want an easy, entertaining, and educational read, I cannot recommend either book enough. I finished Blink in one sitting and Outliers in two.

While sitting in Borders, I started thinking about the privilege of coming from a wealthy, or at least financially secure, family compared with coming from a less privileged one. I had always thought that successful “self-made” people from underprivileged families, and those from secure families who received little or no financial support after high school, had an equal claim to the label. What I had overlooked was the significant indirect advantage of coming from a secure family. You always have a fallback, which makes it easier to take larger risks that may lead to greater rewards.

That’s it, my random revelation for the day. Time to code. Much appreciation goes out to Mom for the great read; keep them coming.