left of the district

so i sit with my brother and discuss some rather interesting similarities that we share. mind you all that I hadn’t really thought of this as more than a “me” issue until i talked to him, but perhaps it was a product of the environment that we grew up in.

we both noticed the phenomenon that we are rather good at multiple things, but not committed to one specific skill or trade. Take my musicianship for example. I am proficient at piano, guitar, bass, trombone, and singing, yet I would not call myself a “singer” or a “pianist” by name. i suppose i have always had a fallback plan in the event that someone attempted to knock me down and tell me I was no good at a particular instrument.

Perhaps I never gave directing or composition a fair shot. or acting. or writing for that matter. I would consider myself adept enough at nearly any liberal arts skill to attempt to make a living at it, but I have never felt the undying desire to do any single thing and be an expert at it for the rest of my life.

so i will for now remain a somewhat proficient singer, musician, actor, writer, chef, and all around handsome man.

i wish i could commit to just one thing in my life. just one.

Dr. King Dream DC

Today I began to reflect on the month that has been February of 2007 and noticed a few haunting realities that I can’t quite explain.

I was disturbed when CNN’s coverage of Anna Nicole Smith’s burial debate pre-empted the now annual MLK piece for Black History Month. Things of this nature really make me think about how simple it is for the media to take a rather insignificant matter in the grand scheme of human history and blanket thought provoking or meaningful programming.

Take the MLK piece for example. Now I realize that most everyone has probably studied a history of what MLK was able to do, how he did it, and what it’s impact has been on civil rights. Honestly though, is the burial debate of a b-class celebrity so important as to impede a meaningful topic?

Every time I am reminded of what MLK was able to accomplish it makes me wonder if there is anything even in the same realm of effectiveness for a cause these days. Sure, we have made large strides in the fight for basic rights, but how far has the world let alone this country really come with the issue of Race and Civil Rights?

In the 1960s the people gathered. There was clear leadership and through the guidance of leardrs like MLK we had progress. Who is our leadership today? Where is the fire and the aspiration that drove us through those times? Who is gathering the thousands to march on Washington for a cause? It seems to me that the recent evolution of the individual has taken some of that away from us.

It is a much more difficult question to answer in this day and age. I feel as though it will be a difficult task to try and change the deep rooted history of human nature, thought process, and unwillingness to accept change. More than that though, it takes an appropriate balance of pride in one’s culture and respect for another’s culture to really be at the pivotal forefront that I’m talking about.

I must admit that my PM commute is made bearable only because I am able to enjoy the Michael Baisden show on 96.3 FM. I realize that I am likely not the target audience for his show, yet I enjoy the programming because he plays quality music, has wonderful guests, and is not afraid to dig right in on the controversial topics and let his callers and guests debate.  If only there was more programming like this.

Parity of equality is a journey we may never realize, but can always be striven for.

And with that, I step down from my soapbox.

-cc