Reflections by Maria Kang

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I have a dream

This entry was posted on 1/22/2008 11:38 PM and is filed under uncategorized.

January 22, 2008

This past weekend I attended the Walk for Life March for the West Coast. There, my father and I stood in the cold air of a San Francisco morning, listening to inspirational speakers like Martin Luther King’s niece, Dr. Alveda King, an abortion baby survivor, Gianna Jesse, and motivational speakers, Jesse Romero, Rev. Clenard Childress and Father Frank Pavone.

They discussed equality of life and the ability for one person to make catastrophic changes in our world by affirming their convictions and standing against the status quo. They referenced Telemachus, a monk, who was slaughtered in the Roman Coliseum, when attempting to stop the Gladiator killing games. After his death, the emperor banned the games because he was so moved by the monks martyrdom.

Like Telemachus’ end to gladiator contests, Dr. Martin Luther King’s fight for racial inequality and our Founding Father’s struggle for freedom, we are all remembering the sacrifices each has made to secure our moral livelihood and personal freedom we experience today.

I was in the 6th grade when I won many Oral Language Fair’s for my recitation of Dr. King’s “I have a Dream Speech.” As a young girl, I recall standing with a fervent spirit in front of an intimidating panel saying: “…I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’…”

This weekend, today – I still speak and write with an anxious yet intimidated voice…a voice that still has a dream. A dream where our world isn’t manipulated by money, media and made-up ideas of power. A dream where kids are given clean water, natural foods and a protected home environment. A dream where all people are united by what connects us versus what separates us.

We all have dreams today.

While our dreams are lofty, our dreams are realistic, for the only world we live in is the world we perceive through our eyes alone. When anyone steps into ‘our world’ as a friend, a family member, an acquaintance or an onlooker – that person will either become drained or uplifted inside your world.

In your world, people will feel pessimism in your negative faith or optimism in your positive beliefs.
In your world, people will feel weak, stable or empowered.
When people are in your world, they will see, feel, hear, smell and touch the positive or negative energy radiating from your presence.

Everything you touch, everyone you meet, every place you go – you will leave behind your own spiritual traces. When I die, my spiritual presence will live on in things I write, stuff I build and people I love.

Become a dreamer. Believe in the power of your own hopes and desires for a more perfect world. Live that truth in your heart, mind and spirit and allow it to infiltrate the lives of others in all that you say, do and act. Be an instrument of peace and manifest the innocent and untainted child within you. I did this weekend – and I pray that all of you will too.