I Have a Dream

As a 90’s baby, I have always never understood why people could hate someone just because they are different than them. That’s what is beautiful about people is the differences. After all this time since Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech, you would think that discrimination and exclusivity would be nonexistent. Unfortunately, recent elections and events even last year have proven that naive thought false. This is why I have prioritized in 2022 to use my time, my voice, & my funds when able.

My Time

Nothing shows greater care than giving up your most precious asset of time. You are only given so much of it and giving that up to fight for a basic human right of respect is always going to be my choice. I volunteer primarily to work with children because that is where the seed of hate is planted, and hopefully been pulled out by my example or impression. Whether a church function, community project, Black Lives Matter movement group, Innocence Project, or any other organization, there is always time to give. Most recently I have started being a healthy lifestyle coach, where I take the time to help, cheer, and guide people to discover their version of a healthy life.

My Voice

Your words matter. Words can be your greatest weapon in the battle for equality. If you see something then say something. Do not be the one that someone spreading hate feels comfortable spewing that verbiage around. I have clear set boundaries & use my social media to push for respect and inclusion. Whether you have 5 followers or 5 million, you do make a difference because 5 people just saw that is unacceptable behavior.

My Funds

Put your money where your mouth is. Show me your budget & I will show you what you care about most in life. My husband & I have started the Ramsey baby step journey so we donate roughly 10% depending on paycheck & budgeting ability. We donate to our church that has made a mission to be a diverse place that includes all people and has donated to stop human trafficking, NAACP funds in Texas, and Salvation Army buckets at Christmas. When decluttering through the seasons versus holding a garage sale for profit, we donate to Goodwill, Salvation Army, to a domestic violence shelter, halfway house, and even try to donate food that we have not eaten before expired to food pantries around our town.

My BIG Life Goal

One big passion project that I am pursuing is to build what I call a growth center, where people who have fallen or have been given a disadvantage can come get trained on basic life skills like cooking, finances, and career planning. I would love to have it be a hub with apartment complexes where the homeless, people that have fallen on hard times, immigrants, Veterans, or recently released from prison people can reside to help them get back up on their feet. Despite popular belief, one cannot pull themselves up by their bootstraps because as a Texas country girl you cannot pick yourself up when pulling on your bootstraps. You literally only put your boot on your foot. The bigger point is some people do not even have boots. That is my dream project that I want to save for & get educated on how to legally run to the best of my ability, but in the meantime, I do want to pursue this project through social media.

While we got a good deal of work to do one thing is for sure that younger generations are picking up that dream that Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had and his family continues to pursue. I would love to be alive when that finally comes to fruition. There has honestly been enough waiting and change will come soon especially if this Millennial had anything to say about it.