As the week winds down, I finally had the opportunity to visit the new MLK memorial. This experience is definitely one for the books and something that can and should be considered "life changing" for several reasons: 1) its not just black history but American history; 2) this is the first national monument in the national mall dedicated to a non-president and African-American ; and 3) the design and concept is amazing, and fitting to who Dr.King was and what he did.
When I entered the historic site, I noticed families from across the country and world, and at that moment I felt proud to know that people are really supportive and interested in this rare monument. It was also awesome to see that the monument depicts a mountain that the statue of Dr. King broke out from, which holds true to the quote on the side that says "out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope". Then as you walk along the back wall there are several quotes from Dr. King's speeches.....just awesome!
Not to get on my "soap box" but this piece of history , as well as the other monuments and DC sites, is something that everyone needs too see at least once in their lifetime. So many people (including yours truly) spend time and money at Disney and other vacation destinations but never take time to visit history. Sadly, this is why we have a generation of children who do not know who they are because they do not know where they came from. As I began to reflect on the the history of DC I realized that I have not made time to see everything but I have seen more than some. I also realized that my job and travels have afforded and blessed me the opportunity to experience more than I could ever imagine and I am still experiencing!
I said all that to say, that we all came from a "mountain" that we might not have ultimately selected for our lives or are proud of but the question is........what are you/have you done to be that "stone" of hope that stands out from the norm?
(Mountain that the statue emerged from is in the background)
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Great reflective and well-written post.
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