Martin Luther King, jr Day

So today is supposed to be about taking a day and working in your community. At least that is the original intent of the holiday celebrating the birthday and life of MLK, jr. Most of us sleep and take it easy, which is why it is a shame it is in winter, or perhaps more would volunteer or take time doing something with their community. This would explain why I am blogging whilst still in my pajamas. Don't judge me. :-)

I guess what strikes me so much about this day is that relatively speaking, it was not that long ago that people in this country did not have the rights that should have been afforded to them as American citizens. As a history teacher, I think the biggest thing my brain does is recognize patterns of human "progress." Even further back, women did not have the right to vote in our republic until 1920. Not even 100 years ago! My maternal grandfather was 2 years old and it was year of my paternal grandfather's birth. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Today I am reminded that our country is a work in progress. There are so many Americans who believe our democracy, our very existence, is threatened from the social and political changes occurring around us. It's part of the process. We are not static, we are dynamic. If we stayed in the same place as our founding fathers had us, think about what our lives would be like today. All men were not created equal in their eyes, but I know better than to judge them by my own time and my own standards. That is the trouble with history; we forget it is there to look at, to learn from and to interpret for ourselves.

So today, from the comfort of your own homes, your warm jammies and perhaps a Snuggie, remember today is not only for people of a particular color or creed; it is for all of us. And for me, despite the growing pains and the divisiveness I see around me, I still find it awesome (not the slang, but the overpowering feeling of awe) that I was lucky enough to be born here.