Sam Radford

June 4, 2021

Holidays

I am acutely aware that holidays are a thing of privilege.

I’ve spent enough time with people both home and abroad to know that many people never get to go anywhere.

Sure, there may be other factors sometimes, but it’s pretty much always money why they can’t.

It’s a good reminder that, though I may not be rich by some people’s standards, compared to most people on the planet, I am.

When I’m surrounded by people who live life similarly to me, it’s easy to forget that. And, from that bubble, I don’t look at the billions of poor people and think, ‘I’m rich’; I look at millionaires and billionaires and think, ‘I’m not rich’. 

I say this not because we shouldn’t have holidays. We should! I think they’re important. And, I write this sat in a lovely hotel room while on holiday in Scarborough. So there’s no judgement here!

I want to remind myself to not take this for granted though. I need to keep my perspective.

What is normal and easily available to me is not even on the horizon of possibility for most people on our planet.

I know it’s not a feel-good message, but we need to remember the inequality of our world, and our privilege. At the very least, it should fuel greater gratitude. But, who knows, maybe it could inspire us to help someone else who can’t afford a holiday to get away somewhere…

–Sam

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@samradford | samradford.com

About Sam Radford

Husband, father, lover of books, writer, tech geek, sports fan, and pragmatic idealist from Sheffield, England.