becoming a self in history, becoming a self in my street
Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King told a story of how he was sitting in his kitchen late
at night. The lights were all on and all of the curtains were open. He was shaken to his core because he had
suddenly sensed deep in himself that if he continued in his struggles with the civil rights movement he was
going to be murdered. His skin crawled and his hair prickled on his head. His mouth was dry and he felt as if his
stomach was turning to water. In the throes of this shattering fear he began, gradually, to experience a new
and exhilarating perspective. He suddenly knew with absolute conviction that no one could kill him. He
understood they could kill his body, but he had a deep realization that who he really was was something
independent of his body. He felt an absolute conviction that though his body could be destroyed he and his
great idea could not be. In this moment he stopped fearing his death and became totally free to do exactly
what he believed, no matter what the consequences.