My discovery of Abraham Lincoln came when I was searching for children books that could provide good role model for my young kids. I bought few books related to Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Tom Sawyer and others. It amazed me that Abraham Lincoln had humble beginnings, starting as a manual laborer(woodcutter) with passion to do something worthwhile for the society to be remembered for.
Most importantly he was an honest, noble and compassionate man; after killing a turkey he avowed never to hunt again. With less than a year of school education, he could write or speak like a person no other! As I read a brief story of Lincoln in children’s book, I had a feeling that he was one of the greatest man that I did not know and had a fervent desire to know more. I read with nail-biting anxiety and wished that he could meet the expectation that I imagined of him.
Wow! Not only he was great; I thought, among the people I ever know, who are as great as him? Weighting by the character and the influence on the people, I could only think of five such personalities - Lord Ram, Lord Buddha, Lord Jesus, Mahatma Gandhi and Abraham Lincoln! I had the realization that he was not just American but a person who belonged to mankind.
I was disappointed that I did not know about him soon enough. I desired that more people ought to know or else he will be forgotten in next couple of hundred years. Fortunately, like a god's gift to me, my next project was in Indiana. I visited his birth place in Kentucky, boyhood in Indiana and later years in Springfield, Illinois. I was glad American government and the American people have preserved these places for the future generations. The ranger told me that he is the second most written about person after Jesus Christ. That gave me an immense satisfaction that he is silently admired by lot of people and will not be forgotten.
He was not only a man with character, he literally steered crucial decision himself as president as if he alone was sailing the ship to save democracy - a system, in my opinion, is the best hope for mankind. He helped me actually understand the democracy and, oddly enough, help me to appreciate Hinduism (my religion).
It will be my earnest desire to express some of the wonderful experience in this blog. I feel my articles can make non-Americans more appreciative of Abraham Lincoln and the great country that USA is. Interestingly, with my non-American perspective, hopefully, I could also make Americans appreciate about him and their great country.
As I left USA, I bought volumes of books and tapes about Lincoln, as I could not get these treasures in Singapore or India, where I am currently residing. I am still in the process of reading about him and enjoying it.
