I Have A Dream...

January 18th was Martin Luther King day, which in my world, is a huge deal. Where I walk, it means bigger, better, new, and more. This day symbolizes possibilities in a world that, at the time, didn't believe in a new way of thinking. Martin Luther King recognized the need for change, but did more than just talk about what he wanted and saw for the future ~ he took action! His daily path was full of sharing, and a willingness to stand for those who couldn't stand for themselves. He made sure they had a voice, even if (especially when) others attempted to silence his call. He was a quiet man who spoke with a loud roar. He stood courageously while the fearful threw stones of anger and ignorance. It was this ignorance and fear that fueled his passion... not to prove the nay-sayers wrong, but rather to help them see the same possibilities he dreamed of. He loved them. The more they hated him, the more love he wanted them to feel.

He did have a dream, and knew light would shine on that dream, changing the world forever. It arrived. It's still arriving.

My words will never be worthy to be on the same page as this great man, so instead, I'll give you his:

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." 

"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent." 

"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." 

"At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love." 

"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." 

"A lie cannot live."

"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness." 

"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." 

"Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals." 

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant." 

"Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love."

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?" 


-Martin Luther King, Jr.