Dr. MLK Day: His legacy to me

On January 15th, we celebrated a man that left an indelible mark on society, from the peaceful protests, to the photos with his wife and family, to his infamous "I have a dream speech", to the dreadful day of his death.  Some of us were blessed to have a day of rest, while others went to work as they normally do, performing their daily tasks to ensure a paycheck in a week or two.

Have we ever once stopped to think how this man's life affected our individual lives?  Go beyond the Facebook/Instagram/Tumblr/Twitter posts. Go beyond the t-shirts and sweatshirts with his photo and phrases.  What does his life example mean to YOU personally?  How has it shaped your thinking of others?  Do you only live at peace with people on the surface? Or do you boil with anger every time you see them or some one speaks favorably about them and you want to challenge it? Those are questions just for starters.

Well, I didn't post anything on social media, I didn't mention anything to my co-workers, family or friends. Talk is really cheap. We hear a lot of that from the government, church leaders, family and  frenemies.  The true impact of a person's life is reflected in our daily lives or routine. How we treat our fellow humans speaks volumes of how we view ourselves and other people. Our internal thoughts descend down the food chain hierarchy to animals.

Dr. King's legacy of peace and fair treatment is a monumental task to undertake. These attributes have to been embedded in your soul in order to act appropriately everyday. Love is a key element needed to help us live with each other as we should.  It will make us sit down and talk through things instead of being reactionary to everything we perceive as an insult or a threat. Instead of the name calling and hurtful vulgar language, we would speak to others as if we were speaking to ourselves. We will go the extra mile to help and encourage. We would show people a better way to live.

No, I didn't join the bandwagon and post "umpteen" memes.  I choose to be a living example, not just because of the image, but it is the way God intended us to be from the beginning.