In between the rustling of papers and the incessant piercing ring of a dozen phones a shrill voice rang out, “Phil we didn’t receive our permit to demonstrate in Washington and the rally in Alabama is being stopped TWO MILES from were we planned the sit-in!” This is were I come into play. He has a dream, people get caught up in the emotional whirlwind and scream “ACTIVISM”, and I glue them together and make it actually work. “Call our contact at the NAACP Pete and ask him to draft a letter to the Governor of Alabama and inform the Governor of our intention to sue not only the State for unlawful detainment but bring a law suit against him personally for monetary damages. Make sure to slip in there the price a good defense attorney goes for these days. Second please put in an overnight envelope to the White House a copy of our permit application we sent in along with a note reminding them we sent it certified mail and will be more than happy to send a copy of the letter along with the name of the person whom signed for it at the White House to every major news station in the country.”

ImageryGood

Have you ever known the name of the offensive lineman that protects the quarterback from the brutal onslaught of the defense? Probably not. They, like me, are the unsung hero’s of that game winning pass. I am not, nor have ever been, an exceptionally creative person, nor very emotional for that matter. Cold hard logic and linear problem solution is where my strong-suits lie. Without me, Dr. King would never have had a stage to stand on to let everyone know about his vision, and the emotion packed volunteers for the sit-ins would never had been able to be organized and resourceful enough to walk their dog down the street. Do I have narcissistic tendencies? Absolutely. I am the Ying to everyone’s Yang. Ideas and causes are always born at a higher plan than the one containing reality. I reach up, and grab them before they get out of reach. Then I proceed to nail them to real world, and restructure them into something that has a possibility of working rather then leaving them as something a bored student might read someday in an outdated Philosophy textbook.

Are the other two aspects important? Of course, but long after Dr. King is dead and buried and the Civil Rights Movement is just a memory of days gone by people will still know his name and herald the sit-ins. Memory of me, if I am ever even known except by anyone to begin with, will fade to dust. This is ok with me though, as such with the Lineman when the touchdown is scored. They will not ever get hailed as the Most Valuable Player and they will never be sent to Disneyland or receive a free car for their accomplishments, but they just relish in the fact that due to their efforts the game was won and the victory achieved.