Living the Dream

A message from Seressia Glass:

Twenty-three years ago, I decided to write an essay for the first Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday in Atlanta. I was a high school senior at the time, full of all the idealism and hard-headedness that only teens seem capable of. But I had dreams then.

I dreamed of rising above the circumstances of my birth, my race, my gender. I dreamed of doing more and being more than the people around me. I dreamed of being more than a project girl, a statistic. I knew, even then, that the vehicle of my escape would be books. So you could say that I had a painfully intimate knowledge of using dreams to fuel the desire to do and be and achieve.

I poured all of that into my essay, “Living the Dream.” Here’s an excerpt:

So much of our lives are based on dreams. These are not necessarily the visions we see when we are asleep, but rather those in our wakeful hours. From a babe in a cradle to an elderly gentleman in his rocker, from a leader in his office to a manager of a fast-food restaurant, everyone has dreams.

Martin Luther King, Jr. also had dreams. He didn’t dream of owning a sprawling mansion or a glittering car. He didn’t want millions of dollars or political power. What Dr. King wanted could be expressed in one simple word: peace.

Unfortunately, dreams cannot come true magically. They do not happen overnight. Dreams require hard work and endurance for goals to be met. Dr. King had these qualities, the endurance and the stamina to set forth and reach the goals of his dreams: love for everyone, and world peace. Even when his dreams seemed to turn into nightmares, Dr. King continued his steadfast, unwavering search to attain his dreams, even to the point of giving his life.

And today, all these years later, Dr. King’s dream is alive and growing. Today Blacks and Whites and Reds and Yellows can all live together, work together, and explore together. Today, every man and every woman can pursue their dreams to the limits of their capabilities because they know that there are no longer any legal limitations or discriminations placed upon them. Today we are living our dreams.

As I said, I was a dreamer and completely idealistic and overly passionate back then. I read my essay with quiet intensity and emotion, with knocking knees and trembling hands. I believed in my words; this expression of dreams had come from the depths of my heart. When they announced me as the winner and I got to shake Coretta Scott King’s hand, I believed my dream was one step closer to reality.

But dreams can be deferred, as mine was, thanks to self-doubt and circumstances that eroded my already strained self-confidence. I still tinkered with words because I couldn’t not write, because writing is and has always been therapeutic. Finally I took a bold step (for me) of joining a local writers organization. Two years of honing my skills and renewing my faith in my dreams followed. I celebrated my 30th birthday with my first book contract.

Today I am still hopeful and idealistic and fueled by my dreams. Today I can look past disappointments and recriminations and the worries of the past and keep my face firmly turned to the future. Why? Because yesterday we celebrated a man who united us with a dream of the future. Today we inaugurate a man who has achieved his dreams and in so doing, has inspired and reinvigorated a nation. How dare I do anything else than reach for my own dreams?

“Yes We Can” achieve our dreams.

I know that I’m living mine.