If I did my math right, Martin Luther King Jr. was 39 when he was killed – about the same age as me. In the roughly last decade of his life, he traveled a zilliion miles, presented his message of peaceful advocacy at over 2,500 speaking engagements, wrote 5 books and myraid articles, PLUS, he was married with children (source: nobelprize.org), won a nobel peace prize, and changed the course of history! Needless to say, I have not accomplished anything that seems nearly that awesome in the last decade of my life….
But, part of his grand message to end injustice peacefully included the importance of “service.” He is quoted as preaching that, even though we cannot do all things, or grand things, we can do the important thing – to serve. In our own small ways, we contribute to the bigger picture of life – I can serve as a mate, as a parent, as a friend, in my community, …. I hear much grumbling these days about “our” money helping people in other countries – but if we don’t serve our neighbors in their times of need, there will certainly never be anybody around to help us when we need it!!!
I try to serve, everyday in some small way – on the job, in the home, in the broader world via GovLoop – and although I may not change the course of history (and I may fail many days to reach my goals), I can do my small part for the greater good of all.
Things may not be perfect, might never be…. we still battle racism, injustice, prejudice, and inequality — and we might be fighting them forever — but we can continue, peacefully, to persevere, to serve and to carry forth “the dream”… the dream we all have …. for freedom, for liberty, for life!
Happy MLK Day!!!!!
You are so tolerant that embody a great nation.We would be contented when we catching a dream and holding movements,even these are tiny for someone,but for ourselves.
Let’s take most things by TODAY.
What a wonderful post. You summed everything up so well. Thank you!