MLK Day

A heads up... this is going to be a ramble.

So today was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I get the significance of the person - he was a huge leader in the civil rights movement. When you think of that, you think of him probably before anyone else.

With that said, is there still any significance to this holiday? Don't get me wrong, I respect the reason for the day, but it doesn't seem to be 'celebrated' the way it maybe once was. Outside of government agencies, banks, and a select group of activism organizations, it's not recognized at all, really. I haven't had it as a day off since college. And once at work, it's never mentioned. And that goes for any company I've been at. I've even forgotten that it was a holiday, all together, until I get home and there's no mail. Most people don't even refer to it by it's full name (see my blog title). It seems like it's just another manipulated way for retailers to have sales.

And beyond that, as a way to try to keep it as a recognized day, they've had to double dub it, by calling it the National Day of Service, as well. But if you work, you can't partake in that, either. So that's a majority of working Americans. And the big controversy here in Indy this year was that some school districts were using it as a make-up snow day, so about half the schools were is session today, as well.

So it makes you think... how many holidays have gone the wayward? Right off of the top of my head, I think of Pearl Harbor Day... as the generation that was alive for that significant event have passed on, it's talked about less and less. It's not even shown on most calendars anymore. I don't know that the government ever closed down for the recognized holiday, but I think most people recognized it and at least took a moment to remember what that day meant. But now, it's barely a blip on most people's radar.

So is it, what I'll call, a 'generational' holiday? Will it, too, be a blip on the radar once all that were alive during MLK's time pass on, much the way Pearl Harbor Day has been slipping away as the World War II generation passes on? Will the same thing happen to Patriot Day, otherwise known as September 11th Remembrance Day... will it also go that way once all of our generation has passed?

It seems like if it's not a Hallmark Holiday (for lack of a better term), then it's quickly forgotten. There are a few minor exceptions, like Independence Day, that will always remain a big deal. But even Memorial and Labor Day seem to be less and less celebrated. But at least the private sector still recognizes those with days off. But how long before we start working on those days, as well? And think of all the other holidays that aren't wholly recognized... Presidents Day, Veterans Day, etc.

So yes... this is my ramble for the day. I'm not going to lie... I miss having all the days off like I had in school. But even when, as a kid, you had those days off, did you really celebrate the day? Or was it just an extra day off for you?