Abraham Lincoln " The Shoemaker's Son "

Abraham Lincoln " The Shoemaker's Son "

Abraham Lincoln was the son of a shoemaker and he became the president of America. Naturally all the aristocrats were tremendously disturbed, annoyed, irritated.


On the first day, when he was going to give his inaugural address to the Senate, just as he was going to stand up, one ugly aristocrat stood up and he said "Mr. Lincoln although by some accident you have become the president of country, don't forget that you used to come with your father to my house to prepare shoes for our family. And there are many senators who are wearing the shoes made by your father"

He was thinking he can humiliate him.

Abraham Lincoln said something which should be remembered by everyone. He said "I am very grateful to you for reminding me of my father just before I give my address to the Senate. My father was so beautiful, and such a creative artist-there was no other man who could make such beautiful shoes. I know perfectly well that whatever I do, I will never be such a great president as he was a great creator. I can not surpass him.

But by the ways, I want to remind all you aristocrats that if the shoes made by my father are pinching you, I have also learned the art with him. I am not great shoemaker, but at least I can correct your shoes. You just inform me, I will come to your house".

There was a great silence in the Senate, senator understood that it was impossible to humiliate this person. Only small people, suffering from inferiority, can be humiliated; the greatest of human beings are beyond humiliations.

在林肯當選總統時，整個參議院的議員都感到尷尬，因為林肯的父親是個鞋匠。

當時美國的參議員大部分出身 望族，自認為是上流、優越的人，從未料到要面對總統是一個卑微的鞋匠的兒子。

於是，林肯一次在參議院演說 之前，就有參議員計劃要羞辱他。

在林肯站在演講台的時候，有一位態度傲慢的參議員站起來說：「 林肯 先生，在你開始演講之前，我希望你記住，你是一個鞋匠的兒子。」!

所有議員都大笑了起來，為自己雖然不能打敗林肯而能羞辱他開懷不已。

林肯等到大家的笑聲歇止，坦 然地說：「我非常感激你使我想起我的父親，他已經過世了，我一定會永遠記住你的忠告，
我永遠是鞋匠的兒子，我知道我做總統永遠無法像我父親做鞋匠做得那麼好。」

參議院陷入一片靜默，林肯轉頭對那個傲慢的參議員說：「就我所知，我父親以前也為你的家人做鞋子，如果你的鞋不合腳，我可以幫你改正它，雖然我不是偉大的鞋匠，但是我從小就跟隨父親學到了做鞋子的藝術。」

然後他對所有的參議員說： 「對參議院裡的任何人都一樣，如果你們穿的那雙鞋是我父親做的，而它們需要修理或改善，我一定盡可能幫忙，但是有一件事是可以確定的，我無法像他那麼偉大，他的手藝是無人能比。」
說到這裡，林肯流下了眼淚，所有的嘲笑聲全部化為掌聲。

林肯沒有成為偉大的鞋匠，但成為偉大的總統，他最偉大的品質，正是他永遠不忘記自己是鞋匠的兒子，並引以為榮。

尊嚴是人類靈魂中不可蹧蹋的東西，只有在你能夠坦率、真誠地面對自己的時候，你才會真正尊重你自己，並且贏得別人的尊重。那些懂得尊重自己的人，才會去尊重別人。