Dr. King (not disneyfied)

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I am responsible for the social media at work, so it's my job to find nice, innocuous quotes on knowledge, leadership, learning and other stuff to post on twitter and facebook.  Nice quotes made by nice people.  Inoffensive people. Uncontroversial quotes by uncontroversial people.  In my research I sometimes come across good quotes by people that I can't use.  Does it matter who said something if it's the right thing? Does this change the fact that the words are good?  Do the beliefs of the people taint their words and the meaning of the words?

I believe that they do.

What I was struck by in my research was how so much of what Dr. King said in the 1960s is still incredibly relevant today.  (For instance, Dr. King said  “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.” As we struggle to find a way to provide access to fair health care for all in this country, this is timely indeed.)

Most of the information floating around on the internet (facebook, twitter, et al) around the time of Dr. King's birthday (15 January, observed as a public holiday on the third Monday of January) has (and will) refer to his non-violence and his compassion.  I'm afraid that with time the Civil Rights struggle has become disneyfied.  

Dr. King's room hours after he was shot (Steve Schapiro, photographer, 1968) source

The more time that elapses, the more memory softens the struggle by all those who fought for Civil Rights and endured oppression and injustice.  

This is not to discount his wonderful compassion.  As he said, “Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.”  I have found this to be true, and I would rather risk my safety to do something than stand by idly by.

 

So, while some may be celebrating Dr. King's non-violence and reliance on love as opposed to hate (both of which I also celebrate!), I will be concentrating instead on his courage and fortitude.  Just because time has passed it does make the struggle for Civil Rights any less harrowing and horrifying.  Just because it ended reasonably well and we can remember it with the "I Have a Dream" speech does not mean that we should not also remember that it is a struggle that remains on-going.

I leave you with this,  “Courage faces fear and thereby masters it” -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

No Natural Fibers

Strangely, the title "No Natural Fibers" made me think of this song, "No Sunlight".  The human/stuffed monkey brain works in mysterious ways...

So, while getting dressed today I chose (through all fault of my own) no natural fibers.  Once I chose what have to be the world's ugliest trousers (which I think I will soon be giving away, as they are INCREDIBLY unflattering as well, and weirdly shaped), the die was cast, and the unflattering, mademade-fiber-outfit fairly built itself!

See for yourself!  View the hideousness in all its manmade fiber glory!!

Am I right?

In other news, I have not accomplished all that I had wanted to in my little sweatshop.  But sometimes my goals are bigger than my eyes (my eyes are bigger my stomach, or something).  But I have made headway in some areas.  Mr. Cereal's Christmas gifts are underway (yes, it is January), my sister's birthday gifts are underway (her birthday is Friday, and I am searching for something that needs to be worked on.... I bought it at Thanksgiving and it may be (I am hoping!) in my blackhole of a closet).  My stepbrother's gift is coming along nicely (Christmas!).  There are still things under the tree for folks... and cards to make and gifts to wrap...

For years now I've been slowing down at Christmas time. I feel the innate guilt of a defunct catholic over late cards and gifts (I do enjoy sending mail and post!), plus my own special guilt. I really do want to send things.  But somehow my mind is plotting against me.

What's really important, though, is my little sister's birthday.  

I remember the day she was born in 1980.  She is the best thing that ever happened to me and I love her to pieces.  She normally has a crappy birthday (she does not always get the friends she deserves) and I am trying to make her days special.  So this just serves as a special kick-in-the-ass talk to myself, reminding me not to let myself down, to treat her as well as I should, as well as I want to.  To treat her as well as you treat the person who is the best thing to ever happen to you.  The one person you remember since BEFORE they were born.

She doesn't always show it, but she's HYSTERICALLY funny.  And she is always super smart (like Russian super computer!).  And she's my person, even though she sometimes wishes she had more people.
As the Amish say-- a-woo-woo.

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Emergency trousers?

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I, like others, often struggle with what to say on the spur of the moment, like when confronted with a hideous baby, or when someone makes me really salty eggs (or, perhaps, more likely, when I make someone else really salty eggs, as eggs and chicken are my worst things to make and I have now made them both for Mr. Cereal.  I have done the opposite of what most people would do-- purely unintentionally, I assure you-- and cooked things I cannot cook first, rather than cooking my best things.  WHAT WAS I THINKING?  Dear reader, I was not thinking at all.).

I like the idea of storing some things up for emergencies--
like what to say in an emergency
and now have thought that maybe I should invest some-- time? money? effort?-- something in emergency trousers.

I like to imagine emergency trousers-- or indeed, emergency clothes of any sort-- as being the kind of thing that could save you!  There you are, you need something to wear for a special interview, an important date, or, the one special piece of clothing you are convinced will cause someone to see you the way you were always convinced they would.  Magical clothing which could save you.  Emergency sweatshirt which feels like a hug.  Big comfy emergency socks which warm you up just thinking about them. Underwear which are so ugly that they will convince you not to sleep with the wrong person.  Clothing that will save you, even from yourself.

And so, maybe it's not new clothing at all that would be suited to being emergency clothing.  New sweatshirts don't hug you the same.  New jeans aren't broken in right.  But the sweatshirt that you stole from your sister and you're not supposed to be wearing is the one that makes you feel beautiful and it's the one you were wearing when something good happened to you.  That flannel you loved that she left under your pillow when she went away to college was way better than one you could buy in a shop...
Old clothes are emergency clothes.  Old clothes soothe you and save you and help you.  I am an old clothes person. I am like used clothes, like the velveteen rabbit, I'm all worn in, but hopefully you love me better for it.

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