Don’t Wake Me Up

As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther’s King’s life and legacy today, you cannot separate the man from the word “Dream”. At the mention of his name, for me the words “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” fill my thoughts. Being the father of a 3 ½ year old little girl that is my heart, that dream hits me even more square between the eyes. It’s one thing to want equality for all, but another to look in your precious child’s eyes with the knowledge that the world is set up to treat them differently in the eyes of the law and greater society. It is heart-wrenching to imagine the desperation and urgency of that dream.

Almost from the minute that I had the spark of the idea for creating Verona Villa, people that I encountered referred to my concept as a ‘dream’.  Sometimes it was in a friendly “you should totally pursue your dream” and others not, as in “you want to start up a business that doesn’t exist that includes ground-up constructions and millions of dollars – you are dreaming”.

As I moved along in the process, my supporters continued to encourage “chasing my dream” and the naysayers mostly stood by in silent judgement, but they were always there as well.  Then dirt started moving, foundation was poured steel was erected, walls, a roof, etc – and the supporters shifted to “your dream is coming true.”  I could feel the sense of bewilderment from some – what is he doing, how is this happening, should I be doing something different in my life like him – almost as if people had thought bubbles over their head that I could see what they were contemplating.

When we got to the time of a grand opening, the comments became “you did it – you accomplished your dream” as well as the other folks thinking “yeah this will never work”.  Pretty consistent, but just reflecting the stage of the process I was in.

Through all of these stages, both groups internally made me cringe.  While I appreciated the intended encouragement of my supporters and the honesty of the naysayers, I was more adamant about making the point to myself that this project was NOT my dream.  I told myself my dreams were filled with being on a beach; of watching beautiful sunrises and sunsets; of walking hand in hand with my wife while lost on a windy street in Florence; of having a healthy and strong baby girl full of confidence and hope; of seeing my brothers and sisters happy; spending too many hours on the phone with my Mom and trying to make her laugh.  You know, the REAL important things to me, not a business and a building.  Work to live not live to work.

But over the past 16 months, something has changed.  In this place we call Verona Villa, I have had a front row seat to watch people experience life.  I have seen the colorful vibrancy of traditions and faiths, the richness of diversity.  I’ve watched couples along with their friends and family become one.  I’ve seen corporate leaders recognize and empower their teams and introduce customers to new products and solutions.  I have seen community leaders step up to share their skills to make a difference.  I have seen passionate volunteers supporting causes from curing diseases, to providing essentials for those in need, to providing educational opportunities and scholarships.  I have seen people baptized.  I have seen people worship their chosen faith.  I have seen father’s dance with their daughters, mothers dance with their sons.  I have seen Bollywood style dance routines.  I watched fans get to meet and interact with their hero Dallas Cowboys.  I watched a memorial service for a father and husband that was almost exactly my age.  I have had conversations that I would have never met with people that have enriched my soul.

This past Friday night, there was an event that was produced by Linking Cultures of Frisco and lead by Pastor Dono and Angelia Pelham.  It was a beautiful event celebrating Dr. King’s Dream and included a re-enactment reading of the full text of the 1963 I Have a Dream speech.  Before dinner, Pastor Pelham took me by the hand to the front of the room while everyone was networking and getting settled to eat.  We stood together him not letting go of my hand, and he said “Look around this room.  Look at what is happening in this place”.  Then he was quiet, because when he asks you to do something, it just seems like a good idea to do it.  As I looked around the room and saw the beautiful diversity of people, a movie was playing in my head of all that I saw in the last 16 months.  The tears of joy and sorrow, the hugs of love and comfort, the team building exercises, the Dad seeing his daughter in her wedding dress for the first time, the prayers, the worship, the sounds of groups of people singing/laughing/furiously applauding.

Pastor Pelham looked me in eyes like it was only me and him in the whole state of Texas.  He said to me, “Do you know why this is happening right here, right now?  This is happening because you said ‘Yes’”.  Pastor Pelham also said to me, you need to write this down.   Well here I am and like I said, the man is persuasive.

I have come to realize that try as I might to fight it, this is a dream.  Don’t wake me up.