Monumental Connection

Growing up my parents took me to many different memorials; of which most I had no context for. I remember feeling frustrated, thinking, "Why are we going to a stone statue when we could be playing instead?" That's what nine-year-old me thought as she walked into the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington D.C. I knew of MLK's achievements from what we learned in school; but, it still felt very surreal. I could kind of grasp the idea that I most likely wouldn't have gone to the same school as all my classmates without MLK's work; but, it still seemed abstract. I knew of his actions but not there significance. 

Walking through the canopy of cherry trees, slowly seeing the stone memorial come into view. Feeling dwarfed by the sheer size of the stone. I came to a new understanding of the size of impact MLK had on the Civil Rights Movement. I felt a connection form between what I had learned and the world around me. The permanence of the stone, the size of the statue, and the beauty of the surrounding area helped me to understand the impact MLK had on the world today. Connection comes in many different forms. It can be spontaneous or sparked by an experience. For me, visiting the MLK memorial allowed me to connect the past with my present. 

Seek connection to those who shaped your present.