Regular readers of this blog probably can probably guess that I’m not looking forward to Donald Trump becoming the 47th President of the United States next week. However, my spiritual tradition teaches us not to focus on what we don’t want, because that focus will only make that thing grow. As the quote above by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr says, we don’t want to be against war, because then our focus will be on war and so we are actually adding our energy to war. Instead, we must focus on the positive state we want to see in the world, which is peace. We must learn to wage peace more effectively than we have waged war.

As luck or fate has it, President Trump’s Inauguration Day, January 20, is also the holiday for our national hero of peace, love, and equality, Dr. King. Therefore, I’m trying to turn my attention to properly celebrating Dr. King rather than worrying about the state of our country once Donald Trump is once again its President. Fortunately, my community is organizing many opportunities for me (and others) to put my time, treasure, and talent into activities that uplift our country.

If you are living in or around NC’s Research Triangle, Triangle on the Cheap has a comprehensive list of MKL Day activities in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and other local towns (click here to see that list). But I’m concentrating on activities in my home community of Cary. The Town of Cary sponsors what they call Dreamfest Weekend, all geared to honoring the work of Dr. King as well as this year’s goal of “Stronger Together: Cultivating a Community of Compassion.” Now THAT’S something I want to put my focus and energy into! I’m going to describe the three activities that I’ve signed up to do, but click here to read about all the other Dreamfest activities as well.

BACKGROUND:
An 2023 article in Forbes Magazine lists Cary as the 22nd richest city in North Carolina. However, their definition of “city” is very different than mine (know that I moved to North Carolina from the Dupont Circle neighborhood in downtown Washington, DC. From that perspective, Raleigh is only barely a city.). The “city” that is the richest in NC (according to this article) is Biltmore Forest, which is a little less that 3 square miles that was carved out of the property of the famous Biltmore Estates of the Vanderbilt family. One can only assume that the neighbors closest to the Vanderbilts were also pretty well off. The second “city” on the list is fully gated community with a Country Club and a golf course that is made up of 36 households. So looking at the list, many of the places among the wealthier cities before you get to Cary are simply millionaire enclaves. None of them list more than 6,000 households in their borders.

Cary, on the other hand, is the 7th most populated city (although they like to refer to themselves as a Town, which works for me) in North Carolina (after Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Durham, Winston-Salem, and Fayetteville). It has been named one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and as of 2023, it has a population of over 180,000 and an area of just over 60 square feet. So it dwarfs all the other “cities” on the 50 Richest Cities in North Carolina list, and is the only one of the 14 most populated NC cities to make it on the list (as a “city”-many of the rich neighborhoods on this list are included in one of these top municipalities).

I knew that Cary was a generally affluent community, although as a household of one retired senior who only receives Social Security benefits, one unemployed full-time college student, and one teacher, we probably pull the average income down. But this article leads me to believe that Cary is probably the richest actual “city” or town in the entire state, which was a surprise.

And yet, in this wealthy community, the non-profit entity organized to work with people experiencing homelessness reports that they get 70 calls a week, or about 4,000 calls a year, from families asking for assistance because they don’t have a secure place to live.

MLK ACTIVITY #1:
So this is my first commitment for Dreamfest Weekend. The Wake County Theta Lambda Sigma Alumni Chapter of the African American sorority Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc, (https://www.tls1922.org) is sponsoring a donation drive for The Carying Place, an organization the provides housing, child care, and training services for Cary residents experiencing homelessness. In my experience, they are an excellent organization that is nearly overwhelmed with the need for their services. So I’m going to donate some of the supplies on their wish list, and urge other people in Cary to do so as well. If you live in the area and know me, get me your donations and I will drop them off. Click here for more information about The Carying Place.

Here is the information about this drive and the most needed items:

The Carying Place Amazon Wishlist

Kitchen Items: Foil wrap, plastic wrap, kitchen towels, mixing bowls, paper towels, placemats, potholders/mitts, serving utensils

Bath and Bedroom Items: Body Wash, soft soap, bath/hand towels, wash clothes, laundry baskets, pillows, Twin Sheets, Twin Comforters, shower curtain liners

And I know most readers are not living in Cary. However, I would be surprised if your community doesn’t also have a need to deal with rising numbers of people who are experiencing housing insecurity. I’m sure Dr. King would love for all of us to do whatever we can for our neighbors who have less than we do…even, and maybe especially, if we don’t feel like we’ve got a LOT. Anything that any of us can give probably makes a big difference to whoever ends up receiving it.

MLK ACTIVITY #2:
My primary commitment on Sundays is my spiritual community, which offers its service from 9:45-11:30 Sunday mornings. This month, we are doing a program called “Invite a Friend, Share the Joy” in which we invite people to experience our brand of spirituality. This Sunday, after the service we hosting a light lunch (I’m making soup) and then a rousing game of Bingo, led by a community member who is one of my absolutely favorite human beings. (Let me know if you want to join us if you live in the area.)

So it’s a busier day than usual for us. But I’m SUPER EXCITED to say that I’m going to cap off the day with another Dreamfest activity that I think will be very enlightening. Our spiritual community, and me in particular, is very big on “breaking bread together.” The biggest Methodist church in downtown Cary is hosting an interfaith activity including free supper and then interactive games and discussions around the racial wealth gap, how policies contribute to or mitigate the gap, and what we as individuals can do to create a more equal society. This is a big church that is providing childcare so that families with young children can participate and has some other spiritual communities co-sponsoring the event.

I’m just going to copy and paste the Town of Cary info about this event:

It Takes a Village: Community Meal & Discussion

MLK Dreamfest Weekend

• Date: 01/19/2025 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM  
• Location: Cary First United Methodist Church
  117 S. Academy St.
  Cary, North Carolina 27511

Add to my Calendar

In the spirit of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., you are invited to join the Coalition for Better Tomorrows for dinner, fellowship, and engaging self-exploration games. Together, we’ll explore policy-making, the racial wealth gap, and how we can work toward Dr. King’s vision of justice and equality. Join us for an evening of meaningful discussions and community connection as we build a brighter, more equitable tomorrow.  This is a free event but registration is required, click here to register!

I’m signed up. If you are in the area and are interested, I suggest you sign up as well.

MLK ACTIVITY #3:
On Martin Luther King day itself, I’m registered for a service activity through the Town of Cary. We will be doing trail maintenance and other such things at Hemlock Bluffs, one of my favorite parks in Cary. When I was homeschooling my son, we spent many, many, MANY hours at Hemlock Bluffs. Usually we would just walk the trails and appreciate the beautiful nature in the Park. We also participated regularly in their classes and other activities, which were always excellent. I also taught many a homeschool class under one of their shelters. Although I don’t know how much I will be able to physically do as a more mature person, I’m glad to spend a couple of hours to be in service on this day honoring Dr. King.

I know this post is locally focused and that I have followers all around the world, which is so cool. But if you are local and you want to join in on any of these activities, that would be cool. But I imagine if you are in the US, your own communities are running similar programs. And I also believe that the work of Dr. King transcends our nation and any one religions, as does the work of other peacemakers like Mahatma Gandhi, Sister Theresa, and Nelson Mandala.

All I can say is that I would rather be doing things that support “”Stronger Together: Cultivating a Community of Compassion” than listening and reacting to the often false, unfair, or inflammatory rhetoric of a man who was not my choice for President. I respect our Democratic process and I accept that my preference was not the choice of more of my fellow Americans. But I’m committed to focusing on what I want to see in our country. I think it will be better for my community, and I know it will be better for me.