Ponderations

from the Back Porch By Roy Faubion
Posted 3/5/14

Abe Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was often quoted by my father.

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Ponderations

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Abe Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was often quoted by my father. Especially did he use it as a teaching tool as he frequently attempted to build an understanding within me of communicating with others, individually or to a sizeable body of persons. Dad's intention was to make me aware of the powers of brevity, simplicity and common words. Yes, it was common during Mr. Lincoln's time to say, "four score and seven years ago". How I remember my dad's reference to old Abe as he mashed upon my brain how lasting a proper phrase can be.

Years later I was to learn another father-son lesson on brevity and the impact of a handful of words profoundly put together. And, once again, it was I who was the student, but the teacher was my very young son, barely three years old at the time. Much time has passed, vast amounts of water have gone under the bridge, many moons have come and gone and my once thick wavy dark hair has thinned and whitened... still the memory of that moment remains cemented in my mind and heart, written deeply within, a lesson well learned.

You see, I was impressed with the inflated self image of my importance. Busy beyond description, I was. Doing who knows what? I surely do not remember. Yet, I do remember becoming agitated by the interruption of my son, a teaser by birth, laughing with ease, and aiming his pranks at me. You can bet I snapped at him, letting him know I was doing important things. Don't bother me, I said. I glared. In fact, I glared so effectively I made him cry a little. And he responded in his way, using the brevity my father would have admired. He said through tear stained eyes, "But Daddy, I just wanted to play a little."

Old Abe said, "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here," but the nation does remember. My son made no such notation, but I guarantee you I remember. I remember as though it happened yesterday.

There are many things of importance. But try as I may, search as I might, I can find nothing as important as the moment you look at the expectant eyes of your child as he or she says, "But, Daddy, I just want to play a little."