i’m sure on some level i knew today was martin luther king day (because everyone ELSE has a three day weekend, perhaps??) and who doesn’t know that tomorrow is the inauguration (and my brother’s birthday)…

as i was getting dressed for work, i was actually thinking how grateful i am to have had parents that did not raise me to be prejudiced. now, i say this with many caveats because, without digressing into social dissection, everyone from anywhere has prejudices and, being a white woman raised in america, well, i have been the recipient of cultural and societal advantages that, unfortunately, not every american receives. however, again, i was thinking how grateful i am to have had parents that did not express whatever negative and prejudicial thoughts and feelings about people different from my family, despite the way they might have been raised, or were they might have come from.

in the 3rd grade, my family moved to san francisco, after my mom remarried. i went to miraloma elementary school on the opposite side of mt. davidson, where we lived. when i think back on it now, i know that that school, more so than others i had attended, was the united colors of Benetton of schools. and i LOVED it. i was in a “gifted” program were we stayed after school and did all these special activities – we silk screened original stories and pictures into books that we “bound” and published for our families. we made a radio show (this predates the “grimply sand” production, FYI). we got to watch the electric company every morning IN SCHOOL!

and i remember vividly thinking at the time how much i loved that shcool because i thought it was just like sesame street, my then-to-fore only experience with a heavily integrated children’s environment.

THANK GOD I GOT TO GO TO THAT SCHOOL AND THANK YOU TO MY PARENTS AND FAMILY.

on this MLK day and eve of what i hope will be an auspicious as well as historic presidency, the great “i have a dream” speech brings real tears to my eyes…