For The Dreamer
At about 4:10pm, Friday, January 18, 2008, I informed my supervisor that I was about to depart the office for the day…and the weekend.
“Okay,” she replied “Have a great weekend.” Then she added, “I didn’t realize we had a holiday weekend until I checked my calendar. I’ll see you on Tuesday.”
During the elevator ride down to the first floor, I exchanged end-of-the-day pleasantries with a fellow departing employee.
“I’m glad this is going to be a 3-day weekend.” he said.
“Yes,” I replied “Thanks to the life of a great man.” That’s just one of the ways I can accurately and honorably describe Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - as a great man. Another way I can describe him is to agree with a term many have associated him with based on a historical and powerful speech he gave on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. in August of 1963 - “the Dreamer.”Of all that he was and all he embodied, represented and stood for; he was indeed a “dreamer.” Yet in my estimation and evaluation of his life considering the essence and totality of his accomplishments, acts, deeds, initiatives, works and ultimately his sacrifice; I would have to assess him as the “penultimate dreamer.”As I write this, I realize that a true dreamer acts upon his or her dreams. They begin moving forward toward making their dreams become reality. They’ll for ways to implement, develop a plan, and look for ways to breing the dream to fruition. They’ll construct building blocks, stepping stones and strive without abandon to bring the dream to life, even at the expense of losing their life.
Dr. King was indeed a dreamer and the intensity with which he dreamed and worked to fulfill his dreams, made him a great man whom God used to benefit all of mankind in more ways than can be counted.
Read about him, learn about him, learn from him and endeavor to adopt and apply the characteristics of his persona to your life - it can only do us all good as we journey through life.
I want to thank “the Dreamer” today, on his remembered birthday and every day I can.
I hope you will too.
Copyright © Paul Schneidmill 2008 All Rights Reserved