Annabel Hastings
by Tom Luddecke
Annabel
Hastings was born in Duxbury, Massachusetts in
1637. Early in her life she was forced to combat
the prejudices of those around her who believed
she was a witch. During her arduous trial-by-water,
Anna was reported to have remarked, “I
forgive you your biases because ignorance is so
blinding. I forgive you your fears because
ignorance is so compelling. I forgive you for
stripping me of pride and dignity because they
are so vain by nature, but I cannot forgive you
the fact that all of my clothes are woolen and
will shrink like hell!”
Anna survived
the test and overcame the tribulations society
placed in her way. She later became the
first woman teacher in the Bay Colony and
developed the then novel philosophy of non-violent
discipline. “Spare the rod and spoil the
child,” she stated, “is a bunch of
diddly-squat! Children are like precious plants
and grow if nurtured with tenderness toward the
warmth of the sun.” Annabel left
teaching a year later when one of her students, a
William Salvation, smashed her kneecap with a
brilliantly place drop-kick. As school officials
pried young William out of his inkwell, Anna
retorted, “Tis a wise person who can admit
she made a mistake and get in a little sock-o at
the same time.”
Hobbled by a
crippled knee, Anna then spent time helping those
afflicted with physical handicaps, hideous
deformities, and the propensity to tell bad jokes.
Often mistreated and considered social misfits,
Anna taught them self-worth and pride in their
uniqueness. She fought excruciating battles to
grab bits of legislation which would improve the
lot of the unfortunate. Impoverished and
drained of all sources of income, Anna was force
to raise money by taking her wards on the road as
a traveling side show to take advantage of their
uniqueness.
Disillusioned
but not discouraged, Anna hopped a slave ship and
traveled to Africa where she began missionary
work among the native villages. Anna never
again returned to the colonies, and the last word
of her was in the form of a letter sent to her
brother, Jacob, in Scituate, Massachusetts. In it
she still showed those enduring qualities which
made her life so full, and that characteristic
persistence to achieve the damn near impossible. She
closed her letter by writing to her brother,
“Given time and patience, by hook or by
crook, I’ll teach those damn ostriches they
can fly!”
|
