This morning I was watching some of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches.  One video was an interview in which he talked about being prepared for his house being bombed.  He said he had had a religious experience and had given his life over to the struggle.  He said that since that religious experience he was able to move forward knowing he had a "cosmic companion." 

It seems that for many called to do something great, there is a moment when the call becomes greater than the fear.  This video seems to describe that moment for MLK.  Of all the speeches I watched today, this was my favorite:  A Knock at Midnight

I went to see a movie last week that had a profound effect on me.  Mostly, it made me feel completely inadequate.  The movie was "Coraline."  Now, you may  be wondering how an animated film based on a story written for children by novelist Neil Gaiman could produce that kind of response, but it's true.  After experiencing "Coraline" in all of its stop-motion 3-D glory, I felt unworthy of ever writing another word.  If I were a painter, I would have flushed my brushes down the toilet.  If I were a musician, I would have smashed my guitar.  Since I am a writer (sort of), I felt like destroying my computer.  How could I ever create anything worthy of public consumption after viewing something with such artistic magnificence?