Out in the Cold on MLK Day

Here we are, another MLK federal holiday, this time falling on the actual birth date of MLK.  Here we are, another Iowa caucus, but this year, the coldest weather ever faced by caucus goers.  It feels like we're in the middle of some substantial shifts, but it's too early to know how it turns out, too early perhaps to even understand the substantial shift.

Or maybe, as we think about the contours of history that shaped Martin Luther King, my state of mind is not unusual.  There have always been forces at work against the ones arcing towards justice.  Call those forces evil or capitalism or powers and principalities.  Call it ennui or inertia.  Maybe we always have apocalyptic weather somewhere to match the mood.  

One of the benefits of blogging/journaling is that I have a record.  There have been times that seem bleak, times that seem hopeful, and often, I don't remember it all accurately.  I do remember times that surprised me, both for good and for ill.  I remain committed to hope, even as I am aware of all the ways that our current situation could go terribly wrong.

It's also a benefit of having done wide reading in the field of history.  We've been in worse shape before.  I would still rather be a woman living right now than at any time in the past.  If I could time travel in a male body, would I?  Nope--I want the benefits of modern medicine of 2024, not modern medicine in 1955, when I would be more likely to have a heart attack in my male body.  I want the benefits of modern technology.  I want the societal improvements in terms of social justice, even as I am aware of how those rights are in danger of eroding.

This post is not the MLK post I thought I would write.  I am currently listening to the always brilliant Rebecca Solnit interview on On Being; it's an older interview, but it holds up well and is perfect for a day where we're celebrating MLK and shivering in the cold of electoral politics.