On the road to Greatness with “ABE”
Written by: Reverend Xylona
Hello folks,
Mrs. Lincoln here from the road writing to you that the adventure is well under way. All kinds of exciting things have happened since I last wrote to you all.
Let’s see; where to begin. I believe that the last time I left you we had just arrived at our next school which was Monroe, Michigan at the Triumph Academy. We of course arrived days earlier than we were scheduled and Abe met the Principal Tim Lanahan outside the school. He was kind enough to allow us to park the “Abe Mobile” in the back of the school for water and power hook ups. The RV is huge and there is no backing up with the car behind us in tow. So Abe decided that he would drive through the soccer field and get the RV turned around and be in position to head out in the right direction.
He had walked the soccer field and it didn’t ‘look’ that wet. Now ladies, it is my belief that men folk have a different idea of ‘looking’ than women folk do and I call it “man- looking”; they look on the surface and don t see but what’s on top and they never seem to find their own socks. I think even though he’s the president he “man- looked “at that soccer field and as he drove onto the field I could see from the passenger’s seat that the field was soaked. Everything in Michigan is soggy this time of year.
He proceeded with caution and then we proceeded to get stuck. The more we moved the more stuck we got. He had to get out and unhook the car, move it to dry ground and then move the tow dolly. After many attempts he finally decided to call Good Sam Club and they sent for a tow truck. The nice man from Star towing pulled us out after sitting for over an hour in the field. I overheard the men folk talking outside. “I didn’t think it was that wet,” Abe said. The tow truck driver replied, “This is Michigan, everything sinks here!”
I was almost sure of it, when in the next day or so we had to experience another sinking feeling when we returned from a shopping trip to find the “Abe Mobile “flooded. One of the tanks overflowed and water was pouring out of the bottom of the shower. So the rest of the night was spent cleaning up water and lots of wet towels and rugs. Water everywhere! If all that water had been outside we could have renamed this thing Abe’s ark.
Then the fun started. We entered the school on Thursday morning February 23rd bright and early. We met with the students and teachers and even some parents in the school gym. They played “Hail to the Chief” and Abe introduced himself. He lets the students know that he is not the real Mr. Lincoln. The students gasp and he reminds them that if he was the real Mr. Lincoln he would be 203.
Our schedule for this school was very hectic going from one big assembly to the class rooms where we talked with the children in smaller groups. This was a very different kind of school, they have Deans who are over the departments and they meet with the teachers and evaluate the classrooms every week. I asked one of the teachers why the students were carrying their lunch to the rooms, did they not have a cafeteria? She said “No, they have to get their trays and go back to their rooms, clean up after themselves, wipe their tables clean and if I can hear them chewing, then they aren’t eating correctly. It teaches them responsibility and etiquette.” Later when talking to Principal Tim about how the school operates he said, “Everyone has a job and they all know their job.” He then asked one of the older girls named Mary if she knew what her job was there at school; she smiled and with confidence said” To learn.”
Later on we briefly saw a lady from the local TV station filming as I spoke to a group of girls about remembering their “GIRL POWER”. I believe the channel was 13 but we never heard any more about that so I am not sure how that turned out at all.
We spent the whole day encouraging the children to be their best and become great leaders. I passed out hundreds of “GIRL POWER” cards and let the boys know they better get busy. Girls are now beating boys 4 to 1 and in some countries 10 to 1 in education.
Back in Mary Lincoln’s day; the civil rights movement had just got started and women had no voice, we couldn’t vote, own property or businesses. We couldn’t be Doctors and lawyers or hold any official office of any kind. Mary was outspoken and very controversial just like me. She gave her husband advice and influenced his Presidency. She taught him etiquette and social skills, like not answering the door in his suspenders. She took an active role in Mr. Lincoln’s political life unlike other women in that time. When word came about the presidency; Mr. Lincoln entered the room and said, “Mary, We’ve been elected!” He saw her as an equal.
Today I have the great honor to take Mary Todd Lincoln’s voice to whole new level. I hope that you will all go with us in your hearts and prayers as we continue to inspire the young folks of today to be Great leaders and live their dreams and have hope for a better world. Stop the violence against women and children and focus on education. Education is the key to a new world. We have the power to change now, so that our future is great! There’s nothing that the Lincoln’s want more than to live in a world where all men and women are created equal on the road to Greatness!
God bless you all until next time, Reverend Xylona A.K.A. Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln
