wake up, it's MLK day!

I remember waking up on that first day in 1986. the radio came on and it was tuned to WDST out of woodstock and eric ericson, the overnight dj who made everything right, was saying, "wake up, wake up, welcome to the first MLK day!" it was an astonishing thing in those days to have a day devoted to a secular saint who hadn't been a president. martin's life was as messy and controversial as anyone could wish, and it's a further testament to the messiness life is that the president who signed the law proclaiming the existence of an MLK day should be ronald reagan. I'm a sucker for this sort of day: 24 years on, I still watch the televised concerts and readings and the parades and programs. I never tire of "I have a dream," it still sends chills along my back. the man may have cheated on his wife, may have been a plagiarist, may have knocked down little kids and taken their candy, his voice and what he inspired are the legacies to which the rest of us can only aspire. am I a member of the cult of personality that's grown around martin? yes I am, and proudly so. he was a man like any other and overcame his own pettiness and became someone admirable. you have to believe in something or someone bigger than yourself or you go crazy.