strictly an observer

Today is Martin Luther King Jr's birthday. May he rest in peace.

As someone who stood up openly for the rights of others, his legacy makes me think about my own way of dealing with injustices, from the big ones that shape people's entire lives to the little ones that make or break their day. When it comes to conflict, I tend to be an observer. When the stakes aren't high - and let's face it, in my fairly mundane life, they usually aren't - being an observer is way more fun. It's a lot easier to make snarky comments, egg on both sides, and note lapses in logic and consistency when you're an outsider. You're everyone's confidante and no one's enemy. You don't have to worry about it. It's a pretty good life.

Most of the time. As Penny Lane said in Almost Famous, "...never take it seriously. If you never take it seriously, you'll never get hurt. If you never get hurt, you'll always have fun." But on days like today, when we honor MLK and other symbols of today's safer, more equitable (though far from perfect) world, I wonder if forgetting the fun and letting yourself get hurt once in a while can be a good thing. I should give it a try.