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World Changing Wednesdays; I Have a Dream

8/28/2013

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MLK I Have a Dream
                         I took this photo at the Atlanta International Airport. Pretty cool!

I think that today being World Changing Wednesdays is very fitting, because as most of you know, today is the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr's, "I Have a Dream" Speech. MLK Jr. is one of my heroes, because not only did he have a dream to change this world, he actually did it! As I was just now reading this speech, I get goosebumps all over, and started to cry. I was moved not only by his fiery passion for freedom and equality, but also when he said, "Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred." and "...we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force." Even when faced with unthinkable discrimination and injustice, he didn't want violence! He did not seek vengeance on those who enslaved his ancestors, and held prejudice against him and his family. He simply was seeking peace, love, justice, and equality. He should be an inspiration to us all. So please, in memory of 50 years of working towards that goal, read his famous speech below, and let it inspire you.
"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice
emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only". We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail
together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
So what will you do today, in honor of freedom, equality, and justice.
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​Peace Love and Equality
Jess <3
​
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Come Visit my Booth at the Cleveland Abbey Road on the River!

8/20/2013

 
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Hello everyone! I am very excited to announce, that I will be vending at this year's Cleveland Abbey Road on the River (AROTR) Event! I wrote about my adventures at the Louisville, Kentucky AROTR earlier this month. You can read that here to get an idea of what all goes on there!
After I attended the Louisville AROTR, I knew that vending at these events was something I really wanted to do. I knew that it would be an incredible opportunity for me to make some money, and get my name, my blog, and my creations out there! So, I got ahold of the person in charge of vending, and at first there was nothing available, but my persistence paid off, and I finally got my own booth at the 2013 Cleveland Abbey Road on the River!  
The event is August 30-31, and I will be there both days. Go to the AROTR website to purchase tickets, and get all the information you need. Be sure that you're viewing the Cleveland information, and not Louisville.

The past two months have been pretty crazy with just life in general, but added to that, I have been crafting my little heart out! I've made sure that all my merchandise is stocked, tye dyed a whole new batch of clothes, made brand new beautiful price tags, priced all my products, made business cards, came up with lots of creative showcasing for my products, collaberated with a couple other artists, and even created a couple brand new and very awesome products! It is all VERY exciting.
Here are some of the products you can expect to see in my booth:
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A whole new batch of tye dyed products.
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New beautiful and unique hand-made t-shirt pillows.
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Absolutely beautiful paintings from my very talented little sister.
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*Brand new item* Tye dyed sheets!
and loads more!
So be sure to buy your tickets, and come on out to see great live Beatles Tribute Bands, and of course, say hi to me! And, as an added bonus, if you tell me that you heard about the show from here, I'll give you 5% off your purchase total!

(P.S Tomorrow I'm leaving for a camping trip, and I'll be gone till Saturday. I'll be back and posting next week! Be sure to leave me lotsa love!)

Peace Love and Vending
Jess <3

World Changing Wednesday

8/14/2013

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Hello fellow world changers! It's been two weeks since I've handed over to you your world changing challenge; the challenge to be always willing, and always open, so that when you're presented with an opportunity, you'll recognize it! A lot of us are so pre-occupied with our own lives, our own dramas, and our own struggles, that it completely blocks our vision to others. You will find that when you stop worrying about yourself so much, and start thinking of others, that that is when your eyes and heart will truly be opened to the needs and struggles of those around you. And this is when you will find opportunities.
So I challenged you to go into your daily lives with your eyes and heart open for available opportunities to create change. I told you 5 great places to start; Work, Restaurants, Your neighborhood, Your home, and School. 
So how did it go?!! Did you try being willing and open? Did you go to these places with a sense of purpose, and a sense of open-ness, ready-ness, and willingness? If you did, how did it go?!! 
I'll go first, then I want to hear from YOU!
These past two weeks I practiced being willing and open as well, and sure enough, I found opportunities, and I acted on them! Earlier this week I gave a co-worker a ride home from work. This morning on my way to work I gave a stranger some money for gas and he was very surprised but happy and said to me "God Bless You.", and last week one of my co-workers went through a break-up and was really upset, so after work I made her a "Break-up Care Package"; ice cream, ho-ho's, and chocolate pirouttes! She was so happy and touched that she started crying.

Now it's your turn fellow world-changer! Did you give being open and willing a try? If you did, what did you think? Were you surprised at all the opportunities that were suddenly made available to you? Did you act on any of those opportunities? If you did, which ones? And how did it make you feel? How did it make the person feel? Did you feel like you made this world a little better of a place? Please comment below and share! I want to hear from all of you, and hear how much good we're doing in the world! And I want each of us to encourage each other!
*I won't be posting a WCW post next week, because I want you to practice again. Being this open and willing does take practice, and it is SO important! So I want you these next two weeks to look for more opportunities! Great work everybody, and don't forget to comment and share!!!*


                                                    Peace Love and World Changers
                                                                        Jess <3

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    I'm Jessica!

    I've traveled all over the world, but Ohio is where I call home. I'm a lifestyle & travel blogger, and author. I love setting goals, reading, and snuggling up with my fur babies. I can usually be found at my local thrift store, or in the hammock in my backyard.

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