The Line Is Shorter

Published on February 13, 2015

The most damaging refrain we all hear throughout life is "Are we there yet"? It's a voice we begin hearing as a child that becomes progressively louder throughout life. The persistence necessary to continue on with the activity that will see our goal come to fruition is challenged at every corner. The truth is that it is just a voice. Just a thought based on past experience that somewhere in our past planted the seed of doubt. A thought. What I know for certain is that any thought can be overcome. Realizing where we are along the path of civilization can provide comfort and it is my hope in writing this that it does. The tools we have. The marketplace we enjoy. The potential that exists for you and I and everyone has been made possible due to the efforts of those who have come before us. One of the great examples of this came my way through the movie "The Butler". The film follows the life of the character Cecil Gaines (based on the real life character Eugene Allen) from the cotton fields of Georgia where his mother was raped and his father shot to death for coming to her aid. His life and career as home servant leads to a role as a butler in the White House through eight presidential administrations beginning with Eisenhower showed the slow and painful struggle of the civil rights movement. The film depicts the hatred and violence of the KKK, the death of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Through the days of Jim Crowe and segregation it culminates in Cecil being invited to the inauguration of Barak Obama. Before he passed he was able to witness a black man elected president to take up residence in a house that was build by slaves. Here's what this all means I guess. Sure the world is not perfect. Yes we still have a ways to go but know this. For every inch of the path we will travel we must give thanks for the others who have come before to make our travels smoother. From civil rights to workers rights. From technology and advancements in science and health. From the ashes of despair, today hope springs eternal for us all. When you feel down and doubting of your ability to keep walking, remember this. The line is shorter. Have an excellent day.  
Be well,  
Randy Taylor