Voices

It would be a lie to say I planned it, but it did work out nicely that the start of my new blogging adventure shares a day with Martin Luther King Jr's (observed) Birthday.

I'm not sure when it happened, but somewhere over the years January 18th flipped from a day where I thought about civil rights, dreams, and peace to: Sale commercials. A day off work! An extra night to party!
So in attempts reflect, I enjoyed my cup of coffee not in front of the TV, but instead, a short biography on Martin Luther King Jr. and a copy of the "I Have a Dream" speech.
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It got me to thinking about discrimination. About voices and about freedoms. Am I doing my part to bring peace and cultural understanding to the world? At least to my community?

Answer: not as much as I could. At 22 years old I've been fortunate to not only travel to, but meet and work with many people from around the world. I've climbed peaks in three countries, danced and shared meals with Egyptian women, played soccer with orphans of Rwanda, snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef, gone on safaris in Tanzania, and worked with families from around the world that have lived through things hard to imagine. Would sharing some of my stories and experiences with this world open the eyes and minds of readers? Maybe. So I'll try.

Although it may be naive to say, changing our world doesn't have to be hard. I'm going to start with my voice. I'll use it to share some of my experiences, stories, photos, thoughts, and ideas. Because to quote Martin Luther King Jr., "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

Something to love today: freedom of speech.