In the immortal words of cajun chef, Justin Wilson, "How ya'll are!?"


I am stopping in today to talk about something non-Star Wars. It could be called family related I suppose.. Today is the 200th birthday of our 16th and one of our greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln. A man whom I am proud to share kinship as well as last name with.

We all know the mythos that surrounds him. We as a nation made an allegorical like god of a long suffering individual that would have rejected any such praise of himself. He was swept up into a position that though had been sought to degree, never thought himself fit for. Being in it he did his best to do the right thing. Sometimes falling short. Many attempts at compromises would fail and ultimately, of his on doing or not, would be reborn into the more revolutionary reforms he is credited for.

There are so many books on Lincoln it is hard to weed through which are worth the time. My dad has a couple of shelves full of them. I think they have become a collection of sorts now. So many theories have been made by people from all backgrounds. Some give a good account while many get pretty far out there.

My personal favorite book on the life of Abe has to be Lincoln's Melancholy by Joshua Wolf Shenk. It takes a psychological approach to Lincoln and how things in his life shaped his emotional state and ultimately his actions. It to me showed his humanity in all it's failings as well as all it's glory. He's not just this larger than life figure. It also delves into a familial subject fascinating to me knowing how depression to this day plagues almost all in the family to one degree or another. As awed as I am of him and his achievements, I feel I understand him as a man to some degree. ......and saddened by what he wanted to and maybe could have made happen, what might have been averted if he had not been murdered. He was an imperfect perfect being.

Most importantly something that the myth of Lincoln doesn't lie about was that human suffering in most all forms, did affect him and shaped him. Fate pushed him to be where and who he was in history. A man who oversaw a great socio-evolutionary step in the world. Like a chosen one or Messiah he bore the countries hardships, pain, grief and suffering onto his back. Even though weight of his own tortured soul was heavy just on it's own. This country and the world would have been much different with out him.

Remember on this day, the 200th anniversary of his birth, all of his life. Whether you love him, hate him or are indifferent., just remember.