"There's something in it!"
1861 began a dark chapter in our history. The United States was a house
divided. The Union begun fourscore and seven years before as the Great Experiment had now been torn asunder. The American Civil War raged!
Photographs of President Lincoln show how the conflict etched into his face. He sought a way to end the war. He was desperate for solutions, and one was finally presented to him. But the idea was new-it was untried-it was a little strange, even.
And so was the inventor-let's call him John. In fairness, John was eccentric. Some of his inventions had failed! Frankly, he was hard to work with.
Worse, traditionalists saw John and his ideas as upstart and unrealistic. His invention was derided and given little merit. Against this phalanx, Lincoln stood alone.
But Lincoln had vision. He saw worth in John's idea and was willing to take a calculated risk. And therein was the silver lining in how he decided to accept John's proposal.
On being shown a model of John's invention, Lincoln-as a former riverboat pilot- expressed his opinion in his tell-tale style: "Well, all I have to say is what the girl said when she put her foot into the stocking only to find a pea:
'It strikes me there's something in it!'
"
And indeed there was! For John's little idea changed the world with its revolutionary engineering as the
U.S.S. Monitor
. The
U.S.S. Monitor
was the first ironclad warship commissioned by the United States Navy. Swedish
engineer John Ericsson and his quaint invention continue today in various forms 'round the world. Yet this would not have occurred without Lincoln's leadership, and perhaps the story would've been forgotten if not for Lincoln's signature humor. Therein is a great lesson for you and me.
{First Name}, life brings storms at all of us from time to time. Quite often, potential solutions- the silver linings-will be presented to us from sources we didn't expect. If only we could have Honest Abe's vision, humor-and a dash of humility! If so, like Lincoln, we will be able to say,
Indeed, there's something in it!
Perhaps, the silver lining in what we're enduring now is the time spent with family, the home-cooked meals, and the "slower" life. Perhaps it is mother nature coming back to her natural state. While we may not understand right now, there will be a silver lining at the end of all this.
Wishing you and your family peace and serenity during this hectic time.
