Monday is the day set aside to honor the work and the life of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. I am old enough to remember Dr. King and the civil rights marches of the '60s. Looking back on it now, the conditions that existed forty years ago seem like they happened in another country. In many ways, they did. The fact that American society's thinking changed is due in no small part to the personal courage of this remarkable man.

We have come a long way since the freedom march in Selma, Alabama ... and there is still a long way to go ... but the impact that this one man had on the freedom movement, the country -- and me personally -- is rare.

As a speaker, I am in awe of words that continue to move and inspire us. Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963 is certainly one of those. In fact, it has been judged the most significant American political speech of the 20th Century.

I think every American should be required to re-read the words of that talk at least once a year. It would be even better to listen to a recording of the actual delivery ... and when is there a better time to do that than today?

I discovered a website that preserves great moments in American oratory. This link will take you to the transcript and audio of the "I Have a Dream" speech. I hope you will find time to pause, listen, reflect on his words, clarify your vision of the sort of world you want to live in ... and then take some action to help that happen.

Here is the weekly report on my personal project to lighten up:

Goal: -50  Last Week: +4  Total: -16

So much for my theory of weight loss on the road! I realize a certain amount of fluctuation is normal but I was certainly being conscious of what I ate on this trip. I will be home for the next couple of weeks. That should help the cause.

A number of folks have joined me in this audacious venture ... even if most of them haven't re-connected after the holidays. I applaud their courage in "going public." Do you have a goal regarding your weight? Do you have the courage to put yourself on record? We all seem to get better results when there is someone or something to hold us accountable.

Mary Jo Beniger -- Goal: -25  To Date: -11.5 (No report this week)
Cindy Casady -- Goal: -30  As of 11/21: -15  (No report this week)
Tom Combs -- Goal: -65  Last Week: -1  Total: -16
Chris Corrigan -- Goal: -25  As of 11/21: -4  (No report this week)
Trice Micheals -- Goal: -50   Last Week: -3  Total: -10
Steve Ulrey --  Goal: -12  As of 11/21: 0  (No report this week)
Bill Breslo -- Goal: +5   As of 11/21: +3.5  (No report this week)

If you are interested in how it's going for us, scroll down to the bottom of the EHC each week and check out the progress. If you could care less, don't!