An Urgent and Persistent Question from Martin Luther King, Jr.

As you know, Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of my personal heroes.  He stood less than 5′7″ yet he was an absolute giant of a man.  You may or may not agree with everything Martin Luther King, Jr. said or with every single stance he took, but you have to applaud the fact that he dedicated his entire life to helping those who were unable to totally help themselves.  What’s more, he did so at a time where he, literally, put his life in danger each time he went in public. 

You also have to respect and admire his wife, Coretta Scott King.  She bravely stood by him - knowing, full well, that her safety was just as much in danger as her husband’s.  I personally think she’s one of life’s most unsung heroes.

I read an article on CNN.com that pointed out how we’ve lost touch, over time, with who Martin Luther King, Jr. really was. We remember his words, “I have a dream…” and even very small children can recognize his face.  But, like all icons (From George Washington to Ronald Reagan), we tend to put what little information we have of them into a little bundle and lock it away.  George Washington?  He could never tell a lie.  Benjamin Franklin?  He flew a kite.  Martin Luther King, Jr.?  He had a dream. Ronald Reagan? He was an actor before we was a politician.  

It’s as though we try to associate only one or two things with each individual.  That’s a disservice to us as well as to them.  None of us would want to live a full life and only be remembered for one act or one speech.  Plus, knowing where they came from and what they went through helps you to better understand the things they said and the things they did.

Reading biographies and autobiographies is a great passion of mine - whether they’re men and women from history or men and women from the golden age of Hollywood, I love visitng with them.  Martin Luther King, Jr. is one I’d highly recommend reading more about.  One of the things that’ll stand out the most is that he was extremely brave and, at least, as stubborn!  Stubborn’s not always a bad trait, you know.  It can be the glue that helps you stick to your purpose when everyone else (and maybe a little voice inside of you) says, “Are you nuts?!”  He was one of the most quotable people I’ve ever read about as well.  Just about everything out of the man’s mouth was worth writing down.  The quote on the banner above is a classic example of his wisdom.  It’s also a classic example of his heart - which, from what I can tell, was always in the right place.