Many years ago, when I lived in Massachusetts, I attended a Martin Luther King Day event at a local school in Watertown. That day I met Mel King. He was a powerful, inspiring keynote speaker; and a warm, caring person who possessed a quiet strength about him.
I stood in the long greeting line, eagerly awaiting my turn to shake his hand and share how much I enjoyed his presentation. We exchanged a brief handshake with smiles, and I gained his business card. I had no idea then how much my life was about to change.
I reached out a week or so later to ask if he would be available to do a presentation about his work with a nonprofit I worked with at the time. He was involved with inner-city youth and was well known for the programs he had started in Boston.
We met for coffee, and he talked about building community and working hard together for the common good. We set a date for his talk.
I secured a historical manse known for serving the community. This building began as an orphanage and later became a center in the Boston area of the civil rights and peace movements. Another time it was a residential facility for those affected by HIV. I went about marketing the event as usual.
Calls started coming in. Participants were not being able to attend for a variety of reasons. When the day arrived, I was sad by the poor attendance. I felt embarrassed that Mel was speaking to a much smaller crowd than the hundreds he was used to at his gatherings.
He pulled me aside when he saw my disappointment. He asked for a flip chart and markers. And so, he began a full day of teaching us all he could in our one day together. It fazed him not one bit that the day was not as planned. He asked that I contact him later in the week. I did so, and in that conversation, he revealed the importance of using what you have when you have it. He continued that one should never discount the impact of planting a seed, not with a few or the one right in front of you.
That conversation led to many more as he encouraged me to continue my journey with what I felt inspired to do and speak what I felt in my heart to say.
Soon came the invite to the Sunday Brunches at his home with his gracious host and wife, Joyce. I cannot imagine opening up your home every week to strangers, never knowing how many to cook for or who might attend. Each time, I was impressed by the conversations in every corner of their home of two, three, or more in tiny clusters, all getting to know each other no matter where they were in their life. Many times, a homeless person frequented to gain a free meal, but some of the most thought-provoking conversations I have ever had were with some of them at those brunches.
After I moved away years later, I contacted Joyce a few times to check on them. Mel, who was now well into his nineties, no longer does speaking engagements, and Sunday Brunches are a thing of the past; however, the memories and the encouragement I received from both of them will be with me forever.
Laura G. Womack, Portsmouth, OH - January 16, 2023
To learn more about Mel King, see the interviews listed on this site.
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