Thread by @A_J_Christensen

When I was in 8th grade, we drove across the country for a field trip to DC.

Bunch of kids standing around the capital, no idea what was going on, more interested in their 8th grade crush than the fact we were standing next to the most powerful legislative body in the world.

While we were standing there an older gentleman in a suit walked out of one of the secure doors.

My history teacher saw him and gave a small gasp and nearly tripped running over to talk to him. We followed not sure what was going on.

The man in the suite saw us and stopped.

My teacher and the man in the suite had a brief conversation and he yelled for everyone to come over.

I remember sitting on the steps of the capital as this older man told stories of what it was like to march with MLK jr., to win a seat in Congress and fight for PEOPLE.

He didn’t speak for very long, and he looked worn out and tired then. After he left I asked one of the parents on the trip who he was.

“That’s John Lewis”

Before that day, history never really mattered to me. People and events in the books I was learning from didn’t feel real. They felt too old, and too far removed to have any effect on my life.

But that day a Giant of my history book was standing right in front of me.

He had no idea who I was. He had no idea that him talking to us for 15 minutes would leave a mark forever.

I had no idea at the time, that watching him speak passionately about government and protecting people would flip a switch in me.

But it did

I want to thank John Lewis for taking the time, to stop and talk to a bunch of 8th graders outside the capital building one afternoon. I want to thank him for have the humility and decency he did. And I want to try and emulate that, now and in the future.

#RIPJohnLewis