Independence

As I type, all around me is in disarray. Moving preparations are underway. I haven't held my camera in over a week. Feelings of nostalgia are mixed with anticipation for life in the mountains. Still, there is time to give some thought to MLK day.  Of course, Martin Luther King Jr taught tolerance and peace, but he also inspired people to stand up for their own beliefs.

When a person makes a conscious choice to chart a course that differs from his or her peers, there will always be a certain amount of resistance, or at least a lack of understanding. The civil rights movement is an extreme example, but every person experiences this challenge, and he or she will either assimilate, or continue to stand alone (if necessary) for what is believed to be right.

By leaving a relatively easy life for the challenges of a new career and environment, I am making my own choices, but I should go further and be more ready to do what I believe is right. This reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:
"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

Though I am leaving on very good terms, I can't help but think of the following scene from the critically acclaimed (and influential) series, The Prisoner: