LEDC Update
Before I get into the main topic of this week’s article, I want to give another shoutout to our next Small Business Workshop. On February 26th , Tim Wilson with the Small Business Development Center will be coming to speak on successful business models, adaptable business plans, and effective implementation strategies. The workshop will take place at noon at the County Seat Café and lunch will be provided. So, come out and hear northeast Texas’ foremost small business expert speak and enjoy some delicious southern cooking while you do.
There was a spectacular turnout for the MLK celebration that took place last weekend. I want to personally thank the MLK Parade Club, the Linden Heritage Foundation, and Mr. Malthus Northcutt for the incredible and educational event. I’m proud to live in a place where we can celebrate what defines us as individuals as well as the commonalities that we have with one another.
Part of the civil rights discussion that took place touched on the fact that equality, much like many important issues, is one that must be constantly observed and maintained. I believe that fact exemplifies the very need to keep our cultural history in focus and not let it slip into our rear view. The familiar adage “Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it,” is never truer than in the case of the mistakes made by the generations that came before us.
I’m grateful for events like the one that took place last Saturday because any event that capitalizes on our histories and heritages presents an excellent learning opportunity for us all. Even though I grew up learning about Dr. King in school, I came away only remembering the historical keynotes of the man and the movement he partook in.
For instance, while I remember clearly learning about Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, I was altogether unfamiliar with his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech before last weekend. In a speech given only a day before he was assassinated, Dr. King expressed to a crowd in Memphis, Tennessee that he had indeed “been to the mountaintop.” He announced that, while he didn’t know what the future held, he felt comfort in the fact that he would follow God’s will no matter the difficulties. He declared that he no longer feared for his life because God had allowed him onto the mountaintop to see the Promised Land, and that, even if he couldn’t make it there himself, the goals he’d worked so hard for his whole life would one day be achieved.
I deeply respect Dr. King’s resolve in the face of uncertainty, and I believe it provides an exemplary attitude that we could all stand to emulate over fifty years since the words were first spoken. Our struggles on this earth are never ending and there are times in life where we may feel like what we’re fighting for is unobtainable. Our ability to soldier on should not lie in distant hopes for a future that we may or may not ever perceive. The source of our strength should be in the present—in the fact that we are doing everything we can to make the world a better place to live.
I may not have had the opportunity to learn about Dr. King’s “mountaintop” speech had it not been for the celebration on Saturday, so I would highly encourage any in our community to come out and participate when we have events like these. We have several incredible groups of people working hard to ensure that our community stays active and you never really know what you’ll take away from the events that they put on—be it new experiences, new friendships, or new perpectives.