I have MLK day off and I’m gonna show my kid some Civil Rights stuff and talk to him about it. He’s been pretty excited about the holiday in general because he read a book about MLK, so I think it will be well-received.
Not doing anything for it tomorrow, because we already did stuff in church today on the topic.
I stayed with a friend in Italy who had much thicker, softer, and just generally nicer toilet paper than anything i can buy.
MLK weekend is the weekend for the MIT mystery hunt. So I’ve been in Cambridge, sitting in a room with 50 other people, solving hard puzzles. Well, i helped a little. But I’m more valuable for bringing in a bagel lunch than for my puzzle solving skills.
Anyway, that’s how i celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday.
But i also listened to a recording of his “i have a dream” speech last night, as i drove to where I’m sleeping. It gave me goose bumps.
I’m a self employed farmer, so neither the working-for-somebody nor the don’t-work choices apply.
I’ll probably read something relevant at some point in the day, but I’ve also got to get some wood split while the weather lets me. I’m not planning to go anywhere to join an observance; or for that matter for any other reason.
MLK day - I voted other but that I’d explain here, so…
Normally, my wife and I would do something inspired by the day (often read some quotes or speeches aloud, watch one of any number of quality documentaries, or go to a local event or the like) but not tomorrow.
First, due to scheduling at her job, none of the engineers are getting the day off, so, no chance, instead she’ll be there an hour early and falling down tired by the time she gets home after an 11 hour day.
Second, I just got back this afternoon from a 4 day trip to assist my folks, the first and last (today) days of which were mostly taken up by the 630 mile drive, so I’m bushed, stiff and achy, and I doubt I’ll have much energy to do anything tomorrow other than get caught up on emails, calls, and, well, the Dope before she gets home and we eat and spend some quality time together before bed.
I’m self employed and will be working tomorrow. I didn’t plan on doing anything special until I read this thread. I’ve had a fund raising letter from the ACLU sitting in my inbox for a couple weeks now, so I will make sure I write a check tomorrow and get it in the mail on Tuesday.
Siblings / children: other = none
Extended family: other. Some have been a lifeline and really saved me; some of them are just the worst people imaginable, and hate me, to boot (hard to say whether for being gay or for standing up to them or just being outside their religion). One distant cousin started out as a pen pal when I was a kid and decades later is now basically a favourite uncle.
Same. Sorry your extended family was partly lousy but glad some were not. Most of mine were ok but I was mostly glad to keep to myself and as of now have hardly any contacts with the family. Guess I am a born loner.
My family is so small that I have trouble remembering what a cousin is. That’s the children of my parents siblings, right?
(I have none of those.)
Quesadillas and homemade guac tonight – > very fortunate.
It’s only 9:00 a.m., I don’t have plans for dinner yet. I had to go “other.” I’m very fortunate on most of the other things though.
When do people plan their dinners? Maybe I’ll do a poll.
No children. Two siblings, drastically different results.
I consider myself at least moderately fortunate in that there’s plenty in the house to choose from for dinner tonight. Plans at the moment are approximate.
Health: moderately fortunate. I have two significant chronic diseases, which could, at some future date, become more challenging, but at this point in time, neither of them are tremendously burdensome to me. Otherwise, I’ve made it to age 60 with only two major surgeries, and no other substantial health issues.
Finances: very fortunate. I’ve worked at good-paying jobs for my entire career, I was able to start saving early, and I’m in a position where I can comfortably retire before 65.
Childhood: moderately fortunate. I had a caring family, I attended good schools, and I had great teachers. However, from about age 9 to age 14, I was mercilessly picked on by my classmates, and was a social outcast at school, to the point that I started to develop psychosomatic illnesses in order to stay home.
Parents: very fortunate. They always supported me and encouraged me, and I never ever felt threatened or frightened by them. They had a solid marriage, and the house was clearly full of love. I think that they were challenged by how to cope with a child who was both (a) extremely gifted, and (b) tormented by his classmates. (Much later, I discovered that my grandparents were not, at all, good role models for my parents, and so, I feel even more fortunate that the two of them were able to figure it out, and not continue those patterns.)
Siblings: moderately fortunate. I have one sister, who I love, and with whom I have a strong relationship. But, she has a number of emotional and mental-health issues (as well as likely being an alcoholic), which can sometimes make my communications with her difficult.
Children: other. We tried, and failed, to have children, which is one of the enduring disappointments of my life.
Extended family: moderately fortunate. I have a huge extended family: my mom was one of 11 kids in her family, and while my dad had only one sibling, I have eight cousins on that side. I am close to three of my cousins these days, and one set of aunt-and-uncle; I simply don’t know most of my other cousins well, and most of my aunts and uncles have passed on. Also, there was another cousin with whom I was very close since childhood; he became a Trumper, and cut me out of his life about 6 years ago.
Intimate relationships: moderately fortunate. I’ve been married for 33 years, though we have our share of challenges, and over time, we’ve discovered that we aren’t as compatible, in a number of areas, as we were (or thought we were), when we were younger. But, overall, we get along, and support each other, so it could be far, far worse.
Plans for dinner tonight: meh. I don’t really cook; my wife plans and cooks dinner maybe twice a week (and she did so last night). So, tonight will be a case of it getting to be around 5pm, and us having the “well, what do you want for dinner?” talk.
I’m not sure what “fortunate” means in this poll. For example, I am in a very comfortable financial position, but that is due to decades of my hard work and careful money management, not to any strokes of good luck. Am I fortunate?
I would say yes, both in the sense that you had the good fortune of being taught how to carefully manage your money and also that no unfortunate event disrupted the environment in which you invest or your health.
I would say yes. There are others who worked as hard as I have for decades and were careful, that certainly have not been as fortunate as I have been. If things had gone differently, I would not be poor, but I wouldn’t be where I am now.
I have no children or dinner plans.
Everything else ranges from “eh” to “very fortunate,” so I guess I’m doing OK.
As for MLK day, I am an independent contractor and don’t happen to have any jobs going today, but I don’t deliberately have the day off. I don’t plan to do anything special, but I do appreciate what the day is about, and will surely devote some private reflection to it.
Lots of people work their asses off but still have financial issues. There’s always fortune involved if you’ve got wealth.
Indeed.
I was blessed with intelligence, creativity, and a positive personality. I was fortunate to discover and choose a career path which maps well with my skills, which I generally enjoy, and which is fairly lucrative.