Who Will I Be?

I just finished watching one of my favorite movies of all time…Braveheart. And it made me reflect on all the great individuals who stood for something, for something worth fighting for, for something beyond themselves, for freedom, for equality, for justice, for independence, for peace…for freedom. And they did so with courage, bravery, intelligence, strength, perseverance, dedication, and at times unshakeable conviction. I reflect on individuals such as Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks and countless other African Americans who marched into “white” restaurants to eat or sat in the front of the bus. I think about the Hall 9, the first high school African Americans to start the desegregation of the American school system and the courage to do what no one else wanted or were brave enough to do. I think about the suffragettes fighting for the right for women to vote because they are as much American Citizens as their husbands. I think of the innumerable Native Americans who fought to keep their territory and preserve their culture. I think of Mohandas Gandhi and the unbelievable faith he had in his fellow countrymen to follow his unconventional campaign to independence through non-violence. I think of Mother Teresa who served the homeless and marginalized until her dying breath. I think of Nelson Mandela who was imprisoned because he fought for freedom and equality for Black South Africans. I think of the land mine victims of Cambodia whose numbers continue to increase years and years later. I think of all the individuals both known and unknown who have stood up for what they believed in and it makes me wonder what kind of person will I become? Will I be just as strong as those who took a stance knowing that it would end in certain death? Am I courageous enough to stand behind my convictions with more than just speech? Am I brave enough to fight and struggle to correct the injustices that I see every day? Who will I be?