FALL 2009By Maddy Scuderi
An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity
—Martin Luther King, Jr.When I first read this quote, it took me a while to fully understand what Martin Luther King, Jr., wanted the world to realize and embrace. After a period of contemplating, I thought of all the people in our lives that leave such an immense impact without being noticed. I thought of how they felt, not only for themselves, but also for others, and devoted their lives to others. I thought of someone who has lived up to King’s words. Shirley Lock can be classified as one of these individuals who says so little, but does so much for the community and for other individuals.
Shirley is part of Woodstown Monthly Meeting (I attend this meeting), and is seen as the glue that helps hold the meeting together. Shirley volunteers at the Disciples Food Pantry, a local organization that serves food to those who can’t afford it, and has been there for seven years. She was there when it first started, when it was only a room in the basement with very few people. She says, “I liked seeing the churches come together and working together.” Shirley is now the coordinator of the food pantry, organizing volunteers.
One of the most amazing things I find about this woman is that she rode her bike from age 16 to 85. She stopped riding about three months ago. She believes in helping the environment and “staying green”, even when she’s 85 years old. She quotes, “I love living in town because I can ride my bike everywhere.” I personally do not know many adults who ride their bike to do their errands and get from one place to another. Shirley, however, realizes how important it is to cut back on exhaust emission if our planet is to stay green. This made me happy to know that not only young people are ecologically aware.
Shirley was one of the only two white people who belonged to the NAACP, or National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Shirley told me of how she would bicycle around Cape May County, looking for more people interested in joining. “I met a lot of people whom I probably wouldn’t have met otherwise,” says Shirley. She made the banner that this organization held as they marched through the streets of Washington, D.C., fighting for equal rights for all humans. Shirley also belongs to the Coalition for Peace and Justice, a nonprofit peace organization, and a regional chapter of Peace Action. She has dedicated her life to peace. Every Friday, in rain, shine, cold, or heat, Shirley Lock stands for a peace vigil on the corner by Woodstown Meeting.
Shirley is very humble about the service she has done, and is very quiet and thoughtful. I am sure there are many other public services she has done for the community and farther out in the world (she and her husband also traveled to Africa to work as teachers). She understands that in order to be truly happy, we must feel for others and not get caught up in our own problems, worries and wants: the values that Martin Luther King wanted generations of people to embrace. If we want peace to prevail, we must help one another and work together. The war is not one person’s problem. Global warming is not one person’s problem. They are everyone’s problems and we need to value this, in order to move towards peace.
This essay is the first prize winner in the Helen Glass Essay for Peace contest, which is held annually at Friends School Mullica Hill and is sponsored by Mickleton and Mullica Hill Monthly Meetings. It is copyright © 2009 by Mickleton and Mullica Hill MMs.
Other essays: by Daniel Leone & by Chloe PatrickRETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Saturday, August 29, 2009 at 03:42 PM
