We stand on the shoulders of giants, we must live up to the legacy they have established.

While spending time here in Detroit we decided to visit the Ford Museum in Dearborn. If you ever find yourself in the area, get to the museum, it's money well spent. You don't need to spend the entire day there, you can get through everything in a couple of hours.

One of the exhibits at the Ford Museum is the Liberty and Justice for All exhibit that takes you through the social justice history of the United States. You see historical artifacts and displays from the Revolutionary War to the Suffrage Movement to the Civil Rights era.

One of the items in the exhibit is the Montgomery Alabama bus where Rosa Parks sat and made history when she challenged the Jim Crow laws that were the norm in the country at that time. On that day a pivotal moment in history took place and today I was taken back to that moment in time. I took a deep breath as I rounded the corner to where the actual bus was located. After another deep breath, I stepped to inside the front of the bus. Tears began to develop in my eyes and I proceeded to walk down the aisle of the bus. The museum worker outside of the bus points to the actual seat where Rosa Parks sat. I walked towards it and debated whether I could also sit in that same seat. I began to wonder if I had really lived my life in appreciation of the great labor and sacrifice undertaken by others so that I could enjoy the freedoms I have in my life now. I sat on that same seat and had Niki take a picture of that moment. She took the picture and then I bowed my head and began to sob. I didn't try to hide it, it was all I could do to show my respect for the dedication those great men and women had.

I hope that we can all look at our lives and have an appreciation for all that we have and especially have reverence for those who have sacrificed for us to have a better life. Whatever it may be in our lives, whether an individual involved in the civil rights movement, or a relative who left an oppressive country to live a better life, we need to understand more about those who came before us and the responsibility we each have to ensure that those who come after us will continue to be greatful for the rich, full lives they live. What we need now a days is a little less self-entitlement and a little more respect for where we have come from and the potential we have to make a difference in the lives of those to come.