Martin Luther King, the man the 1999 Gallop poll indicated was one of the most loved people in the world, second only to Mother Theresa. Until 2011 when Tawakkol Karman of Yemen was awarded the Noble Peace prize at the age of 32, Martin Luther King was the youngest man in history to receive the prize at the age of 34 in 1964.
I think most all people would agree his positive impact on the United States can be felt even today, we celebrate a holiday for him and over 900 streets are named after him.
Martin Luther King had some very memorable quotes over his years. From 1957-1968 he gave over 2500 speeches, wrote 5 books and traveled millions of miles. Living with pressure of death threats, perpetual violence combined with all out admiration from his African American audience put MLK in famous rock star status.
This brings me to his quote at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Aug 16, 1967. He stated,
“We all have the drum major instinct. We all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade. … And the great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct. It is a good instinct if you don’t distort it and pervert it. Don’t give it up. Keep feeling the need for being important. Keep feeling the need for being first. But I want you to be the first in love. I want you to be the first in moral excellence. I want you to be the first in generosity.”
Let all start our drum instinct, hear the beat to do more and live better. Today we celebrate a man and his dream, a dream that has become reality.
Our dream at Temporary Repair is to give military veterans coming back from Afghanistan a way to utilize their skills and help Americans in their time of need. The drum beats loudly for soldiers, their desire for excitement, their need to use of their skills and sense of community.
Soldiers celebrate Martin Luther King Day
Look for us, and our green tarps at the next natural disaster. You will see our crews hard at work for families in need.