(HOST) Commentator Traci Griffith agrees that it’s important to reflect on the dreams of Martin Luther King Junior – but she says it’s also good to remember – and honor – your own.
(GRIFFITH) I have a dream. Do you have a dream? We all have hopes, aspirations, goals and desires. Some are hoping to win the lottery, others simply desire peace and quiet, while many wish for good health, and a few aspire to greatness. But do you have a dream, a vision of the world as you wish it to be? What are you doing to make that dream come true?
We are so busy these days living our lives, working two jobs to support our families and to pay our debts, and simply struggling day to day that we often forget about those dreams. They get pushed to the side with the promise that as soon as we pay off the house note, lose that weight, send the kids to college, or get that new job, things will be different and we can get back on track towards living out our hopes and dreams. What were your hopes and wishes twenty years ago? How about ten years; how about last year?
Twenty years ago my big dream was to attend the high school prom with one of the cutest boys in school. That dream sadly never came true; he stayed home prom night with his boyfriend. Ten years ago I had hopes of becoming a famous journalist, dodging bullets in the hotspots of turmoil around the world. Instead I attended law school and later became a professor at St. Mike’s. No bullets, but plenty of turmoil teaching young adults. Last year my dream was to have a healthy and happy baby. That dream came true May 29th when my son Jaden was born. Now my dream is to make this world a better place for him. For me, that means working for peace and justice in the world. It means working to make sure that all children have the opportunity to live out their dreams, regardless of their economic background, social status or country of birth. Hey, that sounds familiar. It means that my son will have the opportunities that I had plus the ones I never dreamed possible. Forget Barack Obama; my son could be the first black president of the United States.
Think back to the days when all your dreams seemed possible, within your grasp. Which ones have you left by the wayside as you lived your life? Pick them up, dust them off and reevaluate them. What can you do to make those dreams a reality today?
Dr. Martin Luther King had a dream, and don’t we all?
Traci Griffith is a professor of journalism at Saint Michael’s College.