Ruminations on the lived experiences of a grumpy white cisgender centre right previously advantaged pensioner

Aweh fellow Ruminants & Groupies in day 416 of Re-Modified Lock Down Currently Level 1.

Period as a semi-retired pensioner: 43 days

This week the topic for Ruminant Pink Friday™ relates to this notion of lived experiences. So, what are lived experiences? It is the case that the term “lived experience” comes up most often in discussions about social justice involving marginalized individuals and groups. Indeed, the first google result on difference between “experience” and “lived experience” comes from Geek Feminism Wiki: “The term lived experience is used to describe the first-hand accounts and impressions of living as a member of a minority or oppressed group.” https://medium.com/@jacobhoerger/lived-experience-vs-experience-2e467b6c2229. The term lived experience is a relatively new term that is particularly popular with the woke brigade.

Although some may disagree grumpy white cisgender centre right previously disadvantaged pensioners are a minority oppressed group in South Africa. So firstly, some thoughts on my lived experiences. Being a very mindful pensioner let me start with how I feel right now.

To err is human but to arr is pirate

Right now, I feel pirate prompted by surgery on my left eye replacing the lens requiring me to temporarily remove the left lens in my glasses. Lived experiences require you to deeply examine your past in search of past traumas in extended therapy sessions. As a child I was compelled to eat all the food on my plate and no insubordination was tolerated.  This was enforced even more vigorously if we were guests at someone’s house. One fateful Sunday visiting friends of my parents I was served two generous slices of liver loaf. Suppressing waves of nausea, I eventually managed to force down the liver loaf whereupon the magnanimous host spontaneously put two more generous slices onto my plate. Fortunately, there was a nearby pot plant. This trauma required extensive therapy and has left me deeply scarred and just thinking about liver loaf brings back traumatic memories. Please do not say liver or even the L word in my presence. It is deeply offensive. My tendency to be insubordinate can be directly traced to this trauma. It is not my fault that I am insubordinate. You also have no right to criticise anything about this because you have not lived this experience.

A “Lived experience” is an event that has been interpreted as manifesting oppression. It does not need to be verifiable. I was walking down the street, someone bumped into my shoulder without stopping to apologise because they were racist. The first part of this sentence is independently verifiable, but the latter is a claim which ascribes intentionality to the event and is not subject to independent scrutiny because it is based on my lived experience and is thus true. https://newdiscourses.com/2020/10/poverty-lived-experiences/

I urge you to be incredibly careful in dealing with me because I am very sensitive and I interpret everything you do in terms of my own lived experiences.

Thank you for all the helpful suggestions and comments. Please keep them up.

Regards

Bruce