<p>Thomas Jefferson sat aloneself-sequestered in a tiny room in Philadelphia. With quill in hand and mind aflame, he penned the now immortal words that birthed a nation, rocked a planet, and set our country on a course which has since defined new and wondrous freedoms for countless souls. His powers of persuasion were immense. His genius was in communicating possibility as though it were destiny; all who read the Declaration of Independence, even today, are swept up into its vision of equality and empowerment for all. I know that I am.</p>
<p>To be able to communicate a vision, to inspire anothers imagination, to bring light into a darkened mind or mindsthis is what I would choose to master if I were to sharpen but a single talent to an astonishing degree. </p>
<p>Before Martin Luther King climbed up the steps of the Lincoln memorial in 1963, just one man had a dream. When he strode back down those stepsonly ten short minutes laterone hundred thousand people had a dream; Kings clarion call was heard and felt by all those assembled; his heart and mind and soul all spoke as one. Reluctance and doubt were banished from the assembled multitudes, and hope sprung up in fears place. Because King had this gift for creating a connection, his dream is still alive today. Millions upon millions of lives have been irrevocably changed.</p>
<p>It is this rare and wondrous ability to transmit inspiration that I would hope and dream to have. Would that I could couple this with a farsighted understanding of what is right, just, true, and possible in this world, I might change lives for the better.</p>
<p>Like Jefferson, and King before me, I also have a vision. I see myself as becoming a public defender who is a champion of the underprivileged and the mentally ill. These are the forgotten people in our midst who so often go unseen and even willfully ignored. I see myself as a crusader for those who are ill-equipped to fend for themselves. I see myself as one who truly makes a difference in lives that are so rarely touched by the hand of mercy. </p>
<p>Even now, I know in my heart that I have the ability to touch at least one other person. I have worked for change in small ways, and I have seen the fruit of my labors. It is the sweetest fruit, by far, that I have ever known.</p>
<p>This desire to make a difference, to touch anothers life, is as innate in me as the desire to breathe. My one greatest wish is that I may be fulfilled in this desire and to ultimately see my vision shared and realized. Who am I, you may ask, to think that I should try to change the world? Who would I be, I might reply, to think that I should not?</p>
<p>_________________#2</p>
<p>My wife and I were married in an intimate ceremony in our home. It was a service symbolic of our commitment to each other, but I also remember it as being uniquely representative of the human values that we both hold dear. In addition to inviting our respective families and closest friends, we had also wanted to include some special people from our neighborhood. We knew them only in passing, yet they had impressed and touched us deeply with their honesty, their sweetness, and their character. These three homeless menTom, Wayne, and Davidwere also a vital part of the most important day in our lives.</p>
<p>As part of the service we handed out our favorite quotes to the assembled; we also kept one for ourselves. Each guest read his or hers in turn, and so we were showered by the sublime words of William Shakespeare and Elizabeth Browning, the witticisms of Groucho Marx and Mark Twain, and the wisdom of Mahatma Gandhi and Maya Angelou. I chose to read Margaret Meads words: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has."</p>
<p>Her wise words held great meaning for me then, and they continue to do so today. They encourage me to embrace hope when all hope seems lost. They move me to persevere in things that not only lift my spirit, but also the spirits and lives of others. </p>
<p>Most of all, though, her words inspire a faith that my own progressno matter how incrementalthat my own passionno matter how alone I sometimes feel in itare important in the world. Indeed, only the breadth of my own imagination and the degree of my willingness to act in accordance with my ideals can limit my destiny.</p>
<p>The inspiration behind her words is the very reason that I have chosen to return to school at the age of 35. I have returned to school not to make more money; my family already has most of the material things that one generally aspires to have: a spacious home, a fancy car parked in the driveway, a fine, green, suburban lawn; all the outward trappings of the American dream. Nor have I returned to school out of boredom. My work is interesting enough. I am even good at it. Rather, I have chosen to return to school because I find I am not satisfied with simply having things and being occupied. I want moremuch more. I want to make a difference. The words of Margaret Mead tell me that I can.</p>
<p>I see things in this world that are unjust and unfair and I cannot easily turn my attention elsewhere. Every day I see people engaged in struggles of quiet desperation, and I have found that I cannot be contented to simply sit back and wish that the world were different. I want to change the world. Again, Margaret Mead reassures me that I can.</p>
<p>Dr. Meads words tell me I can reach my goal of becoming a public defender. It is one thing to make token gestures of kindness and brotherhood to men like Tom and Wayne and David; it is quite another to work for substantive and permanent change in the lives of those less fortunate than I have been. There are thousands of Toms, Waynes, and Davids in this country. They are waiting.</p>
<p>I plan to use my education at UVA, culminating in a law degree, to become empowered to effect real change. What better way to spend a life?</p>