Thanks once again, Christy, for another great bit of history.

I have wished often I could have met Abigail. She seems like she’d have been a great fit here among the ladies of the lake.

I learned from some 1rst generation elders whose parents were slaves that power was not necessarily something that was obvious. Because I was young at the time it horrified me as it seemed like these dignified and very wonderful folks had acquiesced to power, when in fact they were celebrating what real power is. They used to laugh and laugh telling me stories of growing up in the South and supposedly being the “servant” when in fact they were the masters of some pompous and kind of stupid whites. It took me years to understand what they were trying to teach me. That power is not always obvious, it can be subtle and run thinks in a way that never points to the person pulling the strings and lets the “string puller” think he/she are the ones in control. Or better yet get things done and they never know it had happened…

It is a very good lesson. Instead of being outraged and impotent you find your power in the mundane. As an activist and low income person, these valuable teachings show me that we poor could get a lot done under the radar because we are so “insignificant” that nobody notices the seeds we are sowing that would be considered “dangerous” if they knew what we were doing. They are so busy looking at the “shiny things” that these “string pullers” don’t notice us, they do not realize what we are doing right under their noses.

(sigh) As a woman who was owned as the slaves of her time, I think Miss Abigail got it. If only I could convince some of my younger compatriots of what I have learned, and if it could be organized in such a way that thousands of people “get it,” we could change the world before anyone in power even realized what had happened!

Cat In Seattle

One of my favorite quotes. Have always been sure I’d have liked Abigail – not so sure about John. Too bad it wasn’t Abigail who was President.

Christy must have a lot of fun choosing pix and (what a gorgeous sunset) and quotations for Fridays. This is beginning to be one of my favorite things all week.