Street Names

Today does not feel like an ordinary Monday. The airwaves are abuzz with celebrations of Martin Luther King Jr. One way our nation has shown its regard for Dr. King is by naming streets after him; currently there are 730 U.S. cities who have done so. In Portland, this landmark is Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Our remembrances mingle with hopes for the future as we inaugurate our new president tomorrow. Perhaps one day we'll even have an Obama Street.

My daughter and I love to swap names of interesting streets we've run across. So far my favorite is Never Give Up Road, which I spotted near Brinnon, Washington, driving along the Hood Canal.

In a sense, this is the road taken by Dr. King nearly fifty years ago, when he proclaimed he would never give up on his dream.

Take a look at the names of the streets in your neighborhood. What do they say to you?