It's Not About Me

Hi, everyone. I love teachable moments. Luckily, I teach English, and literature allows for a multitude of chances for me try to connect with my students and stretch beyond metaphors and allusions.

Today was one of those days. We were reading MLK, Jr.'s "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech, which was given the day before he was assassinated. In it, he was giving an example from the Bible where two men had passed by an injured man laying on the ground. Finally, an ordinary man stops and helps the injured man. King detailed how we need to not be so worried about ourselves that we do not help others. King wrote, "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?"After jumping around and doing my Oprah "Ah ha" face, I threw this idea back to the students. What if instead of saying, "What will happen to me if I help?" we ask, "What will happen to this person if I don't?"

I am all for taking care of yourself. This is clearly necessary, but I think a major problem with this world is that people have become too worried with only themselves. Too often, we don't look for or take the opportunity to help someone else. We are too busy, scared, or fixated on our own lives to notice that other people need us. We must all be concerned about giving back and helping where we can. It is the only thing that will change the world. We should all take Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s wise words to heart. We need to be concerned what will happen to others just as much as what will happen to us. We must stop turning our heads when our help is necessary. Extend your hand. Help someone along. 

I look at my students each day they come into my classroom, and I want the world for them. I want them to grow up in a time that is even better than when I grew up. Because of that, I am choosing to live by MLK, Jr.'s quote. I know we can make this world a better place. I am done asking what will happen to me if I do this. I am done worrying about the time I will spend or the effort it is going to take. I look at those kids, who are filled to the brim with hopes, dreams, and potential, and I ask myself, "What will happen to them if I don't?" Please join me. Let's do it for them.

Go do good things,

BT