Common Sense

I don’t know why, but since the first day I heard this saying I can’t stop laughing. Each time I think about it, it’s almost as if I’m hearing it for the first time:

“If you see an old woman running, don’t try to stop her to ask why, just start running.”

Maybe my sense of this aphorism has to do with being bought up in a community full of “mature” women. I’m proceeding cautiously because I know many of them will eventually read this post. I can honestly say that I never, and I do mean never, witnessed my grandmother or any of her peers running! I mean, sure, they all wore running shoes and sweat suits, but I can honestly say that I never saw any of them move at a pace greater than what was necessary or required of the moment.

I should also add that if I ever saw any of these women running, it would frighten me beyond any chilling experience I’ve had thus far in my life.

Our social and cultural relationships to words have a greater significance than is commonly talked about. Language is not acquired through rote memorization or exclusively in a classroom setting. No, our familiarity with language is acquired in the rooms of our homes, going to the store with our parents or elders and bearing witness to their linguistic norms. This is why I may comprehend the meaning of the above aphorism completely different than someone reared in another social and cultural setting.

At a really basic level we could say that the phrase relates to using one’s common sense (whatever that is). We could also say that the phrase relates to trusting one’s community. There are many levels to this phrase and I’m sure many of you will offer your insights.

“Dooni dooni kononi bè nyaga da.”