Welcome to Maryland! This is the sign I see as my mother and brother are getting ready to drop me off at school. Living and growing up in a small state the majority of your life, you tend to want to get out and explore. Being such a family orientated person I was hesitant to leave the nest, but when I finally did I was glad I chose Maryland. Being so close to the city meant being near one of the best known statue’s/park: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial!
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, commonly referred to as the MLK Memorial, stands tall in the heart of Washington Dc. Never having seen it in person, I figured exploring it virtually would perhaps give me an insightful perspective to what the memorial has to offer.
As I enter the venue and take a look around I am taken aback by the beautiful foliage surrounding the tall standing walls and statues. Walking slowing to take in all the area has to offer, I see in the distant the great Martin Luther King, Jr. statue. Approaching it with excitement I begin to pick up my feet and place them one after the other with more haste. After much anticipation I was finally there looking up at the memorial.
Standing there enjoying the view, I begin to walk around the statue. Not knowing what exactly to expect I turn my head and much to my surprise I see a quote engraved on the left side of MLK himself: “Out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.” Knowing all that MLK Jr. did for us the quote speaks volumes and resonates with me for personal reasons.
As I continue to look around the park it is hard not to be drawn to the walls in the backdrop of the MLK statue. From where I currently stand, although not clear, there appears to be some kind of inscription on the walls. Anxious to see exactly what the wall has to offer, I move as quickly as possible to reach the wall as fast as I can. Standing here I am enveloped by the strong words that are presented before me.
The wall of statements and quotes, though it may be hard to tell, are quite powerful to those in their presence. I feel as if I can tell and feel this way about the virtual memorial then there is not telling how I may react when I finally get to experience in person.
Coming to the end of my venture in DC and departing the MLK Memorial I turn to my right and what do I see…The Washington Monument! The monument, another well-known landmark in the states, stands tall in the distance to where I stand at the memorial. Never having seen the monument in person either, I quite glad that I not only got to see the MLK Memorial, but the Washington Monument as well. At this point, I felt quite accomplished!
Looking at the MLK Memorial from a virtual perspective, I actually feel as if I was there in sense. Sure, if I were actually there I would have the potential of feeling the wind blowing, listening and looking at other people visiting the memorial and the potential of starting up a conversation as well as being out in the fresh air of nature. Another aspect that I feel is negated from the virtual image is the realness of MLK and the wall behind him. Sure, I can see it clearly through the digital lens, but if I were to see it in person I feel as if the stone would have authenticity to it that would add even more realness to the statue and add to the overall experience. Viewing it from a computer screen, I miss out on all of that, but being able to see the memorial and its surroundings through Google Earth definitely makes me want to go so it in person that much more. As much as our world is becoming consumed in the digital world, not all things can be viewed this way for if they are they lose realness and authenticity, in my opinion, that is!
(Images come to you by means of Google Earth)
Tyreese: I really enjoyed your final paragraph; it is a very thoughtful analysis of the differences between experiencing something digitally and physically. Hopefully you get a chance to visit the MLK memorial in the near future, and you can compare the two experiences more completely.