Happy President's Day! Or maybe not so happy, if you're like me and at work on this Federal holiday. I also had to work on last month's Federal holiday; while I was resentfully eating my lunch in the cafeteria that day, I happened to catch a CNN broadcast related to Martin Luther King, Jr. and his life & legacy. The broadcast centered on an exhibit of Bob Adelman's photography from the Civil Rights movement, currently on display at the Westwood Gallery.
I decided to visit the gallery that weekend (and fellow New Yorkers, you should, too! Exhibit runs through 2/29) and the photos I saw were amazing, beautiful, sad, inspiring, and a whole bunch of other adjectives as well. I arrived at the gallery a few minutes after it opened, and besides the employee at the front desk, I was the only person there! Such alone-ness just does not happen often in Manhattan. Bonus.
Next to each photograph was a brief explanation of the image, referring either to the event depicted or Adelman's thought process in taking the picture. I paused in front of a photo showing MLK's body lying in state before his funeral, and read this:
"If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long...Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize—that isn’t important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards—that’s not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school. I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody. I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked. I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity."The quote is from MLK's "Drum Major Instinct" sermon, which he gave on February 9, 1968. The words were repeated at his funeral, just 2 months later.
My eyes started to tear up a little (good thing I was alone!) when I read those words. So beautiful. And so humbling - would anyone be able to say those same words about me if I died today? How, exactly, have I been trying to feed the hungry or otherwise trying to serve humanity? Am I spending my time chasing after awards, or things that really matter?
I'm trying to keep MLK's wise words in mind. And I'm resolving to just try more.
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