Well, we've probably all heard tell how Martin had a dream, and ofttimes I imagine he was wide awake. Martin's vizhans were no mere sleepy eyed, subconsious ramblings! He must have sat right up in bed, thoroughly
wide awake, and fully cognizant of the putrid stench of
huwomanities inherently imbalanced formula for eliminating
different. Right there in the dark, Martin must have been feeling and seeing his own reality and our futures with such clarity that he enabled him to document and speechify the depth and breadth of his heart's secret desire.
I so get him! I wish, too, that I could and would be judged by the "content of
my character", by the positive and up-full actions and thoughts I strive to live out--especially those moments when no one is looking, timing, and estimating
the values of my acts and/or my person.
Alas, unlike Martin, my nighttime rapid eye
movement dream recollections have always eluded me. Still, Martin's words are always there to guide me whenever I catch myself uttering cultural observations that make ill-conceived judgement of a situation. I do it all the time: make snap
opinions of others based solely on their externals: slump of shoulder,
tightness of face, etc. You feel me, right? Because we are all so guilty of those thoughts, so guilty. But we catch ourselves. We catch it, and we wake up, and hear Martin's words. He comes to all of us, consciously or unconsciously, reminding us that it's time for changes that are long past.
Brother Martin was a realist, showing alternative
pathways through a reality that is what it is, reminding us all not to trip
out and get tangled up with packaging and external wraps. He continues to illuminate
the fact that the shiny wrapping will often blind us into barricading
our pain-filled experiences, tying our vizhanz down. So, just discard the old time rubbish ways of viewing those not like ourselves with negativity and move forward with positivity--until shown otherwise.
On this rainy day with my aches and pains, I dream of physical and mental ease...like folks in China dream of easier breaths, or people in Mali's
nation dream of easier movements forward. I know we all dream of easier smiles, as America's first
afrikan-heritaged leader reclaims the title of President in 2013. All nations bear blessed witness to this second inauguration of Barack Obama on Martin Luther King Jr.'s Day. May he continue to initiate monumental
changes in a backwards thinking, working-against-change political
landscape until the downpressive way of thinking is done! That is my
dream. After all, it is MLK Jr. who also penned these words..."Out of a
mountain of despair it is up to each individual to carve out our own
stone of hope, with action"...
