Happy Presidents' Day Weekend Everyone!
I hope you can enjoy some well-deserved rest and relaxation this weekend.
As many of you know, I write a lot about social media and society.
In honor of Presidents' Day and Lincoln's birthday, which fell on February 12th, I decided to interview President Abraham Lincoln.
I wonder what President Lincoln would think of our modern world.
So I decided to FaceTime him.
Similar to my interviews with other deceased dignitaries, (see Interviews with Dead People on the Social Musings by Austin website here), I am using President Lincoln’s actual words in quotations, including from the Gettysburg Address where asterisked.
INTERVIEW BEGINS
AustinfromAustin: President Lincoln, welcome to Social Musings by Austin. I must admit I am so happy - it is a dream of mine to speak with any President of the United States.
President Lincoln: “Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.”
AustinfromAustin: Haha. Your sardonic and laconic Illinois manner is legendary. In fact, you are one of our most quoted Presidents, and there is a beautiful monument to you in our Nation’s Capital.
President Lincoln: “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”
AustinfromAustin: Let’s talk about the state of the country for a moment. Do you subscribe to the view that America is at a pivotal moment currently?
President Lincoln: “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”
AustinfromAustin: Do we have more work to do on our important issues?
President Lincoln: “It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.” “It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.”*
AustinfromAustin: How can the average person help?
President Lincoln: “It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us.” “That we here highly resolve” to “have a new birth of freedom.”*
AustinfromAustin: A new birth of freedom, wow. [Mindblown emoji, see below]
President Lincoln (looking at the image): What is that awful-looking thing?
AustinfromAustin: It’s called an emoji. I will explain later. We might as well take this opportunity to gauge your thoughts on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
President Lincoln: You mean Tick Tock like a clock?
AustinfromAustin: Ok, we have some work to do here.
INTERVIEW PAUSES while I spend 15 Minutes showing TikTok videos to Abe Lincoln
INTERVIEW RESUMES
President Lincoln: Upon closer inspection of this social media thing, I reiterate that “there are no bad pictures; that's just how your face looks sometimes.”
AustinfromAustin: Ok Abe, that's just harsh.
President Lincoln: I have always found books more pleasant; “my best friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read.”
AustinfromAustin: So you are more of a reader then…Gotcha. Yeah, books are great, but back to social media. There has been a lot of press about the mental health impacts of not only social media but also the pandemic. What do you recommend?
President Lincoln: Just believe in yourself. “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing.”
AustinfromAustin: Any final advice for our readers out there?
President Lincoln: “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” “Whatever you are, be a good one.”
AustinfromAustin: President Lincoln, it was a great honor.
INTERVIEW ENDS
I hope you enjoyed this week’s Social Musings by Austin blog post.
If you missed the latest episode of the Social Musings by Austin podcast, “The Story of the Denim Jacket,” it can be found here.
The episode features me performing my most popular story from the Social Musings by Austin blog in 2021. “The Story of the Denim Jacket” is an existential Wall Street tale about a workaholic (me) who finally realizes that financial success may be less important than achieving joy and spiritual balance.
This episode of Social Musings by Austin podcast also includes a new remix of my original song, "Austin From Austin," and features local Austin, Texas-based rapper and recording artist S.DoT VanGho, who is also Founder and CEO of the Artistic Hustlers fashion brand.
Enjoy.