Wake Up Like a King

There are a few days each year that should provide more pause for reflection than others.

Today is one of those days. It's the observance of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There is so much of this man to celebrate. He was not only an expert (one who knows how to choose the best means to an end), he was a leader (one who makes ethical judgements about which ends to pursue). Above all, he led a movement aimed at increasing interaction among people.

Interaction among people.

Why is this important?

It's our way forward.

Vanity Fair this month (Feb) runs a story on the monied-exclusivity of Palm Beach. Baroness Helene de Ludinghausen comments:

It's a microsociety, and nowadays that's a dangerous thing. Look at the courts of Europe -- Versailles, or Russia -- they became out-of-touch, and it created revolutions. Too small a society where the rich only see one another, is the worst thing for a country. It's especially unhealthy for a country that has always been based on space, opportunity and people....

What happens when good people wind up on non-growthful environments? Bad things. Very bad things.

Not any interaction will due. We need to make the best use of our tools today (markets, people, conversations, technology, travel) and make judgements about where we want to go.

How to set off on this activity in a sensible, meaningful and creative way are the questions I wrestle with each night when I go to sleep. It's the motivation behind kicking off this blog.

King says:

One of the great liabilities of history is that all too many people fail to remain awake through great periods of social change.

But today our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and face the challenge of change.

So, how to stay awake?

Here are a few choral verses from a U2 tribute to celebrate Dr. King and help you ponder the question as you go off to sleep, hopefully just for the night.