"Eyes On The Prize"

Martin Luther King, Jr. advised to, "Keep your eyes on the prize" because...he had a dream. A dream where..."One day we will live in a nation where [people] will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character".

Dr. King presciently knew he'd not live to behold the fruition of that dream. But we are blessed to be alive to see the beginnings of that Dream becoming a reality.

In three days (from this writing) that prize will be awarded to a grateful, patient nation when Barack Obama is sworn in as our Nation's 44th president. May that dream become a reality for all Americans. May we prove worthy to uphold that dream. May we prove the content of our character.

As I sit and watch the television coverage of President-Elect Obama's whistle-stop train deliverance to Washington D.C., I am beyond inspired. I am more than grateful to be a witness. I am excitedly hopeful that we, as a united country, have finally managed to slither out of the slime that has clogged and cloaked our hearts and minds for too long. The slime that has held us back from beholding and practicing the true meaning of The American Dream: To work together for a common cause. Not "in spite of our differences", but because of them.

In nations around the world where differences are the roots, reasons and perpetuation of wars and genocides...where differences are abhorred, denied and stifled... America should stand apart and above. We should. But, too often and for too long, we have not. We have defiled the original tenets upon which our country was founded. We have disgraced and denied the sacrifices made by millions of our citizenry to vouchsafe the very definition of The United States of America: A Celebration of Differences.

Let the pundits and talking heads talk - to themselves. Let Left and Right forget any direction but Straight Ahead. The time for empty words and rhetoric is over. It's been done. To death. Literally. We are not a piece of paper. We are not a party politic. We are, as our name implies..."United". Never before were the words "United we stand, divided we fall" more true than now. We sink alone and apart or we swim...together.

My prayers are that from this day forward - although not overnight and not easily - but as united, real Americans, we begin anew and continue to honor those differences and prove to the the rest of the world that "Yes".....we can!