Keep Moving by Jackson

Keep Moving by Jackson - November 2018 Scholarship Essay

There is so much knowledge in the world and there are so many wise people it is difficult to pick one quote to be remembered by in the yearbook. There are so many styles as well. Do you pick a quote that is funny or intelligent or inspirational or thought provoking or nostalgic? The decision really is tough, but the quote that I keep coming back to is from Martin Luther King Junior. In it he says "If you can’t fly, run. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl, but by all means, keep moving."
This quote is very inspirational and can be fairly ambiguous. That is important because after graduation every class splits up. Everyone heads off on their own path. That is why it is important for a senior quote to be applicable to many different situations. These words from MLK meet that criteria very well. The words are not specific to any career or any situation they are just there to inspire people that no matter what difficulty they face, they should stay strong and keep pushing through. Everyone is going to have high points and low points in their life. The great thing about this message is that it can connect with people regardless of whether they are at a high point or low point.
Another reason that I chose this quote is that I am a distance runner and tend to view life as a long run. There are many ways for this analogy to connect, but MLK's words highlight the core concept. The main idea is that it doesn't matter how fast or slow you go, if you are going strong or barely moving, the important part is that you don't submit. The only way to truly fail is to stop trying to move forward. There are going to be dips in the road and there are going to be moments when it takes all of your effort and focus to keep going but as long as you don't stop you will find your success.
I have found this quote to be incredibly meaningful to me, and I hope that by including it in the yearbook it will help other people as well.