Four Weekends and Seven Days Ago
Several weeks ago, we as a family took the Max to Downtown Portland and visited the Portland Historical Museum. They were having an exhibit of Abraham Lincoln’s papers. President Lincoln fascinates Gabriel.
The first thing he will tell you about Lincoln is that he was shot by John Wilkes Booth with a gun in the theater. The next thing he well tell you is that he thought slavery was a bad idea. Then he will say that he was a super hero before he was a President.
My mind fills with images of Lincoln, with the top hat, wearing a mask across his eyes and a long, bright red cape flying in the air. I can’t help but smirk.
So we have found a collection of kids’ books about Lincoln, and Gabriel has some interesting things he likes to play with. He has a fake, five-dollar bill with Lincoln’s picture on it. He likes to pretend that it is a badge and that he has been appointed as a spy to find slavery and stop it. He has a necklace he made at school with a penny glued to it. He likes to wear it and calls it his amulet. He seems to think it might have some magical abilities. He has not told me what they are yet. I just watch him mumble and show it to imaginary people.
So when we saw that this show was so close, we thought we should check it out. We wanted to encourage Gabriel’s interest, and I was curious what the gift shop would offer. Truthfully, I was looking for a Lincoln action figure. They didn’t have one, but they had copies of his writings in his handwriting. We purchased those and pencil toppers of Lincoln’s head.
So when I get spare time, I plan to turn one of the heads into a Lincoln action figure. Right now Gabriel talks to the head and uses it with his other figures.
--Mom
