Courage
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - January 21, 2008
By mkb32 on 01-21-2008
Courage…That is the word I keep whispering to myself.
What do I fear most?
I regularly fear embarrassing myself, mostly because sometimes there are no speed bumps between my thoughts and my lips. Fortunately or unfortunately folks usually know what my opinion is.
I regularly fear that I don’t have the intangible tools necessary to nurture and encourage each of my children to become independent, confident, caring, joyful, responsible, resourceful people, able to allow themselves to give love and be loved.
Nothing makes my whole body physically tense like when my mother starts a sentence with, “I don’t want you to get all sensitive, but I have to tell you …”
I have been afraid for my life, yet I do not fear dying. I fear not wanting to live.
In early 2007, on a whim, I purchased a copy of “Life, 70 Years of Extraordinary Photography”. How could I pass it up? A “grown up” picture book depicting the world.
On page 127 is a picture that has this caption, “At top, Reverend King is shoved against a police desk after being arrested for loitering in Montgomery in 1958. He was released when police learned his identity.” Photo by Charles Moore.
Directly underneath is another picture that has this caption, “Above, in 1964, Neshoba County, Miss., Sheriff Lawrence Rainey (right) is arraigned with 20 others on charges relating to the murder of civil rights workers. Rainey was acquitted, but seven others were convicted of conspiracy to violate civil rights. Photo by Bill Reed.
The most unsettling and striking thing about both of these pictures is that I see “fear” in the eyes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. King is clean cut, handsome, and elegantly dressed in a suit, tie, and hat.
It is an “action shot” and he has put a hand on top of the desk seemingly to keep himself from falling. Two policemen have their hands on his back in a manner that looks as though they have his other arm twisted behind him.
Courage.
What do I fear most?
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Posted by LisaFairhurst on Jan 22, 2008
I would have to think that Idealists would fear going against their own values. I know I would be afraid of violating my convictions because of threats, appeals to unity or family or other group needs, or because of a mental or physical inability. (A mental inability might be someone talking to me 'logically' and talking me out of what I know to be true.) I imagine that those are the kinds of fears Dr. King had. Would he be able to maintain his beliefs in the face of pain, ridicule, threats to himself and, worse, his family, imprisonment and so on? |
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Posted by mkb32 on Jan 22, 2008
He did. |
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Posted by JackDermody on Jan 22, 2008
I am guessing that the fear in Dr. King's eyes was the prospect of being cut off from his mission as the result of a beating or, worse, killing. I'm sure he had a clear idea of what his mission in life was and that he himself was the most important catalyst for making it happen. I'll bet there are a few million Idealists out there whose inner dialog goes something like, "No, No, I've got so much more to do. I've got a lot to offer." |
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Posted by JackDermody on Jan 22, 2008
I am guessing that the fear in Dr. King's eyes was the prospect of being cut off from his mission as the result of a beating or, worse, killing. I'm sure he had a clear idea of what his mission in life was and that he himself was the most important catalyst for making it happen. I'll bet there are a few million Idealists out there whose inner dialog goes something like, "No, No, I've got so much more to do. I've got a lot to offer." |
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Posted by JackDermody on Jan 22, 2008
Sorry about clicking twice on these darn posts. ONE MORE THING, THOUGH: I think of all the temperaments that both Idealists and Rationals are the most horrified by all forms of violence. Violence obliterates reason and mental integrity by its very nature. |
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Posted by David on Jan 22, 2008
Thank you Michelle for reminding me here in the UK of the fact that it is the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr's memorial day. I still have an afternoon left therefore to pull out a few books and listen to a few speeches. His picture was on the wall of my office every day as a Teacher and his voice and words resonate down the decades more than any other. He was not a politician, he was a Baptist Minister who held a truth and a conviction. I have read that the Reverend readily admitted to experiencing fear, not least close to his death but possibly it was this Fear that he could convert daily into Courage. |
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Posted by mkb32 on Jan 23, 2008
The fear I see in his eyes in that picture gives me courage. I do not believe he was afraid of incarceration, bodily harm, or death. His brilliant and beautiful wife always standing beside him. Not behind, beside. What is the subject of the second sentence in the famous "I Have A Dream" speech? His children. His deep love for his family is very evident. Just as Jack wrote, possibly fear of running out of time. In that photograph, I see a real HUMAN, a husband, a father, a son, a beloved minister displaying TRUE courage without any words. That picture makes him so REAL to me. And makes me long to have heard him personally speak with my own ears. His beautiful communication to all of us. |
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Posted by mkb32 on Jan 23, 2008
And David, Thank You for gently correcting his title for me. I stand humbly corrected. |
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Posted by David on Jan 23, 2008
He wouldn't have worried about the title Michelle! Have Courage! |
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Posted by gemini612 on Jan 24, 2008
Sometimes I think we have a natural tendency to fear, it's something we're born with. Also, I think there's little room for courage without fear, since courage essentially involves one overcoming his/her fears, which could happen over a period of time or instantly. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was very courageous. He overcame the fear of losing his life to transform a nation. And he did this without political power, without violence, without hate, but with words of peace that touched the heart and soul of many intelligent beings of all races. Without courage, I believe he wouldn't have accomplished this because he, as well as those around him, knew that his life would one day be taken from him in his quest for equal rights. |
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Posted by bsaunders on Jan 30, 2008
I've heard it said that courage isn't freedom from fear but the ability to act despite feeling fear. A person in MLK's situation who did not fear bodily harm or being killed would have to be in denial or crazy. What makes people like him special is the faith or conviction that says, "If I do get killed, it will have been worth it." |
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Posted by Bella on Feb 8, 2008
Wonderful thought provoking piece Michelle. You write beautifly. bsaunders I love the quote on courage, it is one that I will keep with me. My fears have changed depending on the circumstances in my life. I shared Michelle's thoughts when raising my children, Kip's thoughts re: incompentence, my independance but mostly not stopping to look up and notice the sky or taking time to laugh and play with my grandson etc..... Thank you Michelle, I enjoy your blog. |
Nice thought provoking piece, Michele. And timely. To me, Dr. King is a shining example of courage - he took great personal risk to act on what he believed to be right. Mohandas Ghandi is another example in this mold. Each of them being Idealists, their moral convictions gave them the strength to overcome their fears of personal safety. Very, very powerful, and this powerful conviction gave them great strength to become great leaders. I think at its most basic level, courage is taking action in spite of one's fears. But our fears are different, as well as our reasons for taking action. Take for example, an Artisan Crafter. The need for audacity often drives this person to take physical risks that (I'll only speak for Rationals) seem utterly foolhardy. Or for some people, the need to be liked must be overcome to confront behaviors in others that cause disruption. What does each personality type fear the most? I think we can all give our view here. For Rationals, (outside of pure physical harm) I think fear of being found incompetent drives us in many ways - drives us to master skills and knowledge wherever we may tread. So in this case, it takes courage for the Rational to undertake something new where their incompetence will be on display. OK, very long-winded, so I'll stop and be interested in what others have to say.