Dare to Do

There are plenty of ways to pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this weekend. In the Tampa Bay area alone, events scheduled all weekend include the entire family. I'll be downtown Monday afternoon with my children showing them a thing or two about the reason for this particular season.

However, I can't help but wonder: Is a parade and celebration the best way to honor Dr. King? Go ahead and roll your eyes, but consider this: Dr. King talked about dreams and ways to make them come true. What would he do with a day off?

Unfortunately, many places require young volunteers to be at least twelve years old. My kids have another six to go. However, if old enough and so inclined, call the Tampa-Hillsborough Urban League at 229.8117 and see if there isn't some way you can help. In your own corner of the world there are ways to contribute and push a stroller at the same time. Go downtown and:

-- Clean up a park.

-- Bring old books and magazines to any assisted-living facility or homeless shelter.

-- Take some stuff you were saving for a garage sale and donate the items to Goodwill instead.

-- Serve food at a soup kitchen.

-- Take your kids to a nursing home and let them hang out with older folks. The stories are better than anything showing on television.

These are just some ideas. Feel free to come up with your own and do some good for the neighborhood.