"I Have A Dream"

Today we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.  (His real birthday is on the 15^th of January.  Today is the observed holiday to honor him) To many of you, he is probably just a historical figure that you studied in school when you were taught about the civil rights movement in America.  He lived for 39 years from 1929 until his assignation in Memphis, Tennessee in1968.  I was in junior high when he died, and although I really didn’t understand the depth of his cause, I did realize that he was fighting for equal rights for all Americans.

Being raised in a mid-sized town in northern California shielded me from the injustices that Reverend King and his movement stood for.  As I grew up I began to have a greater insight into the disparities among the races that existed in other parts of the country.  My dad used to tell the story of when he was drafted during WWII.  Following basic training in California he was sent to a base in the southern states.  He vividly recalled getting off the train and entering a restroom, only to be chased out because he had unknowingly gone into the men’s room set apart for blacks.  So began his exposure to the inequities that did not exist, at that time, in Richmond, California, where he was born and raised.

My quick thought for today concerns what is probably the most well known speech that Martin Luther King Jr. ever made.  It was entitled “I Have A Dream” and he delivered it during “The March On Washington,” in 1963.  In the context of this speech, Reverend King expounded his dream of our American values to include the vision of a color blind society.  He pursued that dream throughout the rest of his life, and was shot and killed on a motel balcony because of it.

How strongly do you desire your expectations and dreams in life?  Are you willing to relentlessly pursue the things you envision for tomorrow?  We have already talked in some detail about the importance and planning for dreams in your life, so we won’t further that discussion here, but I do want to encourage you to stroke the fires of passion in continuing on with your plans for your future.  (read through my past posts if you missed the ones where I discussed dreams and planning for your future) Don’t let the everyday pressures of your world deter you from marching forward.  While Martin Luther King Jr. died in 1968, his dream continued to grow and expand into the reality that we take for granted today in our country.  Let your hard work and determination propel your dreams and visions into your future realities.  Stay tuned, and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”

PS:  For more information on Martin Luther King go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.#March_on_Washington.2C_1963