#234 dreams

I have been intrigued by the American Family Insurance advertising campaign with the tagline "Your dream is out there.  Go get it.  We'll protect it."  It has always caught my attention because usually insurance is there for when the dreams are shattered or catastrophe happens -- most insurance companies don't seem to be in the business of fostering dreams.  But AmFam has taken the dream theme seriously, including offering a "Dream Camp" and a whole website with dream stories and interactive exercises to help you find yours.

One of the sections is entitled "Why Dreams?"  (I guess I wasn't the only one wondering how they landed on this!)  Their answer:  'We believe in the power of dreams.  At their very core, dreams help define us, empower us, and make us happy.  Dreams compel us to improve ourselves and our communities.  Dreams make the world a better place."  

Today this nation commemorates the birth date of one of our country's greatest dreamers -- Martin Luther King, Jr.  His words from August 28, 1963 still ring true today:  "And 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..."

In the midst of fiscal cliffs, political bickering, schoolroom shootings, superstorms and drought, I hope that we can all reflect on MLK's dream and re-envision ourselves as a cohesive community.  Today pause to commit to your role in shaping our future.  "With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood."

-- beth triplett
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