Me & MLK

Here's a quickie in honor of the holiday. I hadn't a clue how much Martin Luther King, Jr. and I had in common until today...

1. We're both Capricorns, born within one week of each other. Him: 1/15 Me: 1/19
2. We both attended Boston University.
3. We're both left-handed.
4. We have been to the mountain top.
5. Our first names have two syllables.
6. We have huge frontal lobes.
7. In our opinion, Malcolm X was a bit of a trouble maker.
8. Our belief in three principles/principals: God, bitches and money.

All screwing around aside, I was listening to the TODAY show this morning, and they played the famous excerpt from MKL's speech the night before he was killed. I suppose my feelings upon listing to the familiar words were a simple convergence of age and life experience. But I was dumstruck by a far deeper understanding of what a profound and indelible mark he left on so many aspects of American life--the realms of the spiritual, the political, the cultural, the ethical and so on. I wish I had an entire afternoon to dedicate to appropriately express what I mean, but the words MLK spoke that night were beautiful and elegant, yet in less than 24 hours, they'd take on the haunting characteristics of a fatal premonition. In Memphis on April 3, 1968, he concluded his remarks to striking city workers with the following:

Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.