Remembering Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Reflections of my trip to The White House and the MLK

Today is the Martin Luther King Day Holiday in which Americans celebrate the birthday of Dr. King and his contribution to the Civil Rights movement. On this day, I want to take some time and post a few of my favorite quotes engraved in granite at the MLK Memorial in Washington, DC. I also want to share the story of how my trip to the memorial was transformed from a rainy disaster with a frustrated prayer. Sometimes, it's true...just ask and you shall receive!

Let me start by saying the day began way too cold and gloomy for a Southern girl from Miami, Florida. 40 degrees is not a temperature native Miamiams are used to. Add a bunch of clouds in various shades of gray to block the sun, a source of heat, and it's a downright miserable situation. 40 degrees in Miami would be our version of a snow day. You don't leave the warmth of your home unless life or limb are at risk. On this morning, however, I struggled. My sole reason for even being in DC depended on this particular day; a day I had been looking forward to for nine whole months...a visit to The White House.

A visit to The White House isn't your typical tourist attraction where you just buy a ticket or stand in line to get in. There's month's of preparation. You must apply months in advance through you your Representative and pray your application is approved mere weeks before your target visit date. For months I agonized about my application because during 2016 I moved and the address at the time I applied would be different from my identification when I took the trip in October. I worried I could be rejected for having inconsistent I.D. information when I arrived. Anyway, after finally getting the approval email and jumping for joy, I had to find out how to resolve the issue of my address change. The contact person there checked into the situation and the problem was, allegedly, solved. This didn't soothe my anxiety until I was past the first guard at the gate, but at the outset of my trip to DC, I was excited.

On the morning of my visit, however, that depressing 40 degree weather with the possibility of freezing rain took all the excitement from my bones. I just wanted to stay in bed in the hotel, snuggled under the covers and not even think about going outside. It was only after an encouraging word from a dear friend that I knew I had to endure. It was my last chance to visit The White House while President Barack Obama was in office. A week later, Americans would have an election for a new President. As an African-American woman, I could not let this special time in our history slip past. So, I dragged myself out of bed, packed on as may layers of clothing as I could--without causing myself to look like a security risk-- and left my hotel without an umbrella for possible rain or even a tube a chapstick for my lips in such bitter weather. Both items are prohibited inside the WH. I tried my best not to be miserable and once I was past the initial guard (there are various stations to go past before you're actually IN the house), my misery dissipated. The few seconds it took for him to check my I.D. felt like an eternity, but - alas- there was no issue with my changed address. Turns out the guard and I were from the same part of Miami. We were, practically, homies!

A few of my many pix of the White House visit...

Entering the WH (that's not me in the gray coat)

A wall of photos of various U.S. Presidents in action...

One of the exterior halls of the WH...

Portrait of JFK...

The rear patio (portico) of the WH...

After leaving the warm, toasty White House and it's beautiful grounds, I giddily returned to the warmth of my hotel room. It had been such an experience. Thankfully, I hadn't flaked out, as much as I wanted to, because of the weather. To say God was good would be appropriate because maybe 30 minutes after I was back at the hotel, warm and dry, the heavens opened up and it poured. It was still pretty early so I ordered breakfast and went back to bed. My hope was that my 2nd most important visit of day (during the warmer afternoon) would be just as fortuitous. I was going to see the King Memorial and Monument.

But then, I woke up to more rain. It rained for hours...hard! By nearly 2pm, hard rain gave way to a drizzle and then sporadic drizzling. It wasn't as cold anymore, but it was cool enough to make the rain feel intolerable. I agonized whether to go out or consider the rest of the day a lost cause. At the same time, it was my last day in DC. There was still so much to see and do. If I didn't hit the rest of my itinerary, I would be bummed. So, I layered up again, grabbed an umbrella and went for it.

If you've ever taken a Big Bus tour, you know the bus is enclosed on the lower level. I rationalized being able to snap pictures through the window as we drove past monuments and attractions and this worked for a few things. The photos were atrocious, but I got to see them with my naked eyes to be ingrained in my memory forever. Unfortunately, when we got to the King Memorial, it wasn't viewable from the street. Being as it was lightly raining, sort of a drizzle, I got off the bus. No guts, no glory. Fuck the rain! It's Dr. King. For what he endured -- so that someone like President Obama could become the first black President in America and for me to be able to have the privileges I have -- I could get a little wet and maybe catch a cold to see the monument erected in his honor. And I'm glad I did.

No lie, it was trying at first. I took a few pictures and captured some rainy video, but I'll admit it was kinda hard to focus on the gravity of what I was seeing while getting pelted by rain. Frustrated, while trying to take photos, raindrops marring the lens, I said, "Come on, Dr. King, Gimme a break, here." Through gritted teeth I continued, "God, can you PLEASE stop this rain?!" And as I continued --in vain-- to try for a nice picture, a light appeared on Dr. King's statue. The light I was seeing through my viewfinder was coming from a rays of sunlight fighting to make its way through the clouds...those awful clouds which plagued my existence all day long. In my growing annoyance, I hadn't noticed the drizzling slowing to an eventual stop. My prayers were being answered AND the sun was coming out. Thank you Dr. King! And Thank you, God! I actually said my thank yous out loud, onsite, up to the sky. The Heavens had taken pity on my miserable soul and sent relief. I couldn't have been more grateful.

You can literally see the progression in my photos from gloomy to glorious.

Photo of the King Monument under cloudy skies...

A front view shadowed by those nasty clouds...

I backed up for a better shot. It was around this time I made my request for relief.

And then check the sunlight hitting the monument on the left side leg. First glimpse of sunlight ALL DAY!

And the sunlight continues to push through, lighting up the whole left side of the monument.

Here, you can see more sunlight trying to burn its way through those nasty clouds. It eventually did and I got some great shots of the Lincoln and Washington Memorials.

Without the nagging rain I was finally able to have a quiet moment of thanks and gratitude for a man who basically sacrificed himself so many of us could have a better existence. On that day, at the moment, I felt the confirmation of his dream realized. There was an African-American President residing in The White House, a house that had been built by slaves, a house in which I had just been inside of earlier that morning. It was quite an experience. Thinking about that day, now, I get teary-eyed. For as far as we've come, there's so much work to do...still.

At this very moment, it seems things are regressing in the USA. But like Dr. King, those of us who fiercely believe in the dream must endure and persist to make sure the dream killers never win. Today is a reminder that we are the torchbearers of the dream and must NEVER allow that flame to be extinguished!

Once again, Thank you, Dr. King! I am one of many who appreciate you and your service to humanity.