| It's the beginning of January, 2007, and I am here, | | | | of the basics about Martin Luther King, Jr. I am sure I |
| comfortable, in my home in Moab, Utah. It's actually a | | | | was taught some of the in-depth facts, but |
| second home. I live in Aspen, CO the rest of the | | | | somehow they had escaped me. |
| year, but the place in Aspen is tiny, and "charming," | | | | I sat down at my computer and conducted a brief |
| while this place in Moab is grand and expansive by | | | | search about this man I knew little of. I learned that |
| comparison. It's a real house, with a two-car garage, | | | | Martin Luther King was a very well educated man (he |
| a great little back yard with a therapeutic hot tub, | | | | achieved a bachelor's, masters and a doctorate |
| and an incredible gas grill. It's on a corner lot, in an | | | | degree, and then went on to become the recipient |
| adorable little neighborhood. | | | | of several honorary degrees as well). Here I was, a |
| As our nation enters the year 2007, and the month | | | | child of private school (one of the best around), |
| of January rushes into recent history, I am attentive. | | | | raised without the prejudices that many face each |
| My holiday vacation is all too quickly coming to a | | | | day, and a college degree had been reduced to the |
| close, so I take a gander at my calendar, hoping to | | | | status of "long sought-after goal," that called to me |
| see another reprieve from the daily grind in my near | | | | from the distant caverns of my soul. |
| future. I can't help it. It's in my nature to not want | | | | This man, at the age of thirty-five, became the |
| my little slice of paradise to come to an end. I click in | | | | youngest recipient at the time, of the Nobel Peace |
| my Outlook through the weekends in January...I seem | | | | Prize. He was not a man of great means, so I am |
| to recall a three day weekend in here somewhere... | | | | certain the prize money of over fifty thousand dollars |
| isn't there a holiday? I think, as I finally come upon | | | | would have eased the burden, if not simply helped to |
| the second weekend in January. Ah.... There it is! I | | | | cushion things a bit while raising his family, yet Mr. |
| see that I've entered that my son has a three-day | | | | King opted to turn his prize money over to the |
| weekend starting on Saturday, the thirteenth. But | | | | furtherance of the civil rights movement. |
| surely there must be a holiday involved? What is it? I | | | | Not only was he well-educated, and extremely |
| think, as I click to the Monday. Aha! Martin Luther | | | | accomplished, he was a man of purpose who really |
| King, Jr. Day! I knew there had to be a reason! I think | | | | lived what he believed and what he spoke about. |
| to myself with a smile, proud of my diligence. | | | | So, as I sit here, in my house in Moab, getting ready |
| The day progressed, however, and this hint of | | | | to serve pepper steak and zucchini, I realize the irony |
| uneasiness persistently tugged at my consciousness. | | | | of my thoughts about Martin Luther King, Jr. as they |
| While going about my day, I couldn't really pinpoint | | | | compare to the reality of my existence. It would be |
| what it was. Perhaps, as every single white female | | | | easy to pass judgment, and think Who is this white |
| reaches a certain age (over thirty, that is), she begins | | | | chick, with her privileged life, thinking she can now |
| to remember all the wonderful golden nuggets she | | | | relate to the civil rights cause? But there is no need. I |
| was taught as a girl in parochial school (okay, that | | | | am not ignorant to the fact that many of those Dr. |
| part is just about me). Or could it be, that as I begin | | | | King worked hard to liberate were impoverished and |
| to approach the last third of my life, the part beyond | | | | broken spirited. They knew nothing of the |
| my "after-thirty" years (I've always divided it that | | | | advantages afforded someone like me and my |
| way: before thirty, after thirty... and beyond...), that I | | | | sheltered, parochial school life. Yet, even though Dr. |
| have become more responsibly reflective? Maybe I'm | | | | King fought in the trenches against the injustices |
| just more willing to allow information into my mind's | | | | toward his fellow man, he soared with eagles as well. |
| database that I determine to be "important and | | | | He respected men and women equally, whether |
| factual"? There was no denying it, though. This tug at | | | | wealthy or poor, well-educated or not. It would be |
| what lies beneath my conscious mind would not rest. | | | | more egregious for me, in my "privileged" situation, |
| It wasn't until I finally stopped dead in my tracks | | | | not to write about this great man. It is far better for |
| while preparing a delicious pepper steak, complete | | | | me to pay homage to him, regardless of my social |
| with shallot gravy and grilled zucchini, that I realized | | | | status, or level of Civil Rights ignorance. |
| what it was. I felt shame! As the gravy dripped off | | | | I am not one to ponder or spend valuable time in |
| the spoon, and I stared into space, I felt ashamed | | | | consideration of the reasons behind our nation's |
| that I not only didn't know it was Martin Luther King, | | | | holidays, but in the case of Martin Luther King, Jr. |
| Jr. Day on that second weekend in January, but in | | | | Day, I am supremely aware of how much more |
| truth, I really knew very little about the man, and the | | | | enriched my mind and consciousness has become |
| reason there was a day in his honor at all. Oh sure, I | | | | from doing so. I will forever honor and revere the |
| knew he was a great leader in the early stages of | | | | man, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who overcame all |
| our nation's Civil Rights Movement. I knew he was a | | | | odds to achieve great things on behalf of his people |
| beloved, revered and honored leader among both | | | | and his race. |
| white and African Americans, who was senselessly | | | | Aside from our nation's continued pursuit of civil rights |
| and brutally assassinated. But that was all I knew. | | | | among all Americans, there is no other statement |
| One could excuse my ignorance, and absolve me of | | | | that could capture the greatness of the man, |
| all guilt for simply being a victim of circumstance: I am | | | | validating all that he stood for, than to name a |
| a white woman, who was born in New Mexico, (a | | | | national holiday for him. I am proud of my nation and |
| predominantly Hispanic, Native American and | | | | my government for recognizing and choosing to |
| Caucasian state), and was raised in a culturally | | | | honor such a man of matchless integrity, courage and |
| sheltered environment. | | | | determination. |
| Like all good school children of my age, I learned all | | | | |