Of Ducks, Dreams, and the Long Road Ahead

This past weekend, I embarked on what many would call a rite of passage, a first duck hunt.

The marsh was still, a blanket of early morning fog hanging over the water. The air was crisp, as if the Earth was holding its breath in anticipation of the sun’s first rays.

For someone like me who is used to the constant hum of activity, the pull of deadlines and expectations, there was something almost unsettling about the silence. But as the day slowly unfolded, that silence turned into something beautiful, something full of space for ideas and reflection.

And so, as the sun began to rise, I found myself thinking, not just about the ducks that still hadn’t shown up but about the events that had brought me to this place, both physically and mentally.

On Monday, we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a day that has come to symbolize more than just honoring a figure who changed the course of American history. It’s a day that forces us to ask ourselves, “What have we done to carry forward his dream?” As I stood there, surrounded only by the sounds of nature, it felt like the perfect moment to ask that question.

King once said, “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.” It’s a line that’s often quoted but one that feels especially poignant in times of uncertainty. King’s fight was never an easy one and he never promised that change would come quickly. But what he did promise, and what he lived and died for, was the idea that justice would prevail, even in the face of overwhelming adversity. His was a dream of a world where the color of one’s skin no longer determined one’s opportunities, where justice was not a privilege but a right, where love and unity could overcome hatred and division.

But how far have we come? And how far do we still have to go? The work King began is far from finished. We see it in the disparities that still exist in our schools, our workplaces, our churches and our justice system. We see it in the way certain groups are still marginalized and oppressed despite the progress that has been made.

I thought about the people who fought for this dream, the unsung heroes whose names we may never know and the sacrifices they made to bring others to this point. And yet, as I stood there, with the ducks still nowhere in sight, I couldn’t help but wonder: Has our society done enough to honor those sacrifices?

It was in this quiet reflection that I began to think about the current state of the nation, the state of politics, the divisions that seem to be more pronounced than ever. And, on the very next day that I was out in that marsh, Donald Trump was inaugurated once again.

While watching the coverage, I couldn’t help but feel the dissonance between King’s vision and the current state of our political climate. Trump’s re-emergence is, for many, a symbol of a return to power, of the development of a golden era of America. For others, it’s a return to a rhetoric that often feels divisive, exclusionary and, at times, downright hostile.

The contrast between King’s dream and the reality we find ourselves in today is stark. King called for unity, for love and for understanding, while today’s political environment often thrives on division and discord. It’s a world where the fight for justice can feel like an uphill battle, where progress seems slow and where the voices of those calling for change are often drowned out by louder, more aggressive forces.

But perhaps this is where King’s message is most relevant. His legacy was never about achieving perfection but about constantly striving for something better. It was about believing that, even in the face of opposition, we could create a world where justice, equality and love were the foundation.

The work we do, whether it’s the fight for justice or the simple act of hunting, requires patience. The ducks didn’t come at first. The silence stretched on. But at that moment, I understood something deeply. The work of justice, like the work of hunting, isn’t always about immediate results. It’s about persistence. It’s about showing up day after day, even when things don’t seem to be going your way. Eventually, the ducks will come. Eventually, justice will prevail.

It’s easy to feel disheartened when nothing seems to be happening, when progress feels slow. Progress is often invisible, creeping forward inch by inch, but it’s always moving in the direction we push it. It’s not just about waiting, it’s about acting. King’s message was always one of action. Yes, we must wait for the right moment but we must also be ready to seize it when it arrives. As I watched the ducks finally take flight, I understood that the work we do, whether in the political arena, in our communities or in the quiet of a creek, requires a balance of patience and action.

Romans 12:2 reminds us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” In a time when division and rhetoric rule, this verse calls us to think differently, to be bold in our pursuit of justice and to not be swayed by the chaos around us. We must hold fast to the values that guide us, even when the world around us pulls in the opposite direction.

As the sun rose higher and the ducks began to stir, I felt a sense of clarity. The work of justice, of bending the arc toward something better, is a long one. It’s filled with challenges, setbacks and moments of doubt. But it’s also filled with hope, the belief that we can do better, that we can be better.

As I left the field that day, with a couple of ducks and new friends, I knew the work wasn’t over. The ducks may have been distant but they’ll come. And so, too, will the changes we need.

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This article was originally published by The South Alabamian – Deep South Media Group. © 2025 Deep South Media Group. All rights reserved.