Age, Maturity & Wisdom
June 16, 2007
This proverb has been a favorite of mine for some time:
“Youth run everywhere and, yet, see nothing. The old sit quietly in one place and see everything.”
I appreciate the respect for age, maturity, and wisdom possessed by many other cultures of the world. When I travel, I still marvel at the level of deference the youth of other parts of the world employ when engaging their elders. Our youth obessession in this country has definitely led to all types of maladjusted behaviors.
My hope for the future is that a tide will turn and we will stop obsessing over the fleeting phantom of Youth.
“dooni dooni kononi be nyaga da!”
Knowing Self
April 16, 2007
Whether we want to admit it or not, we all possess strengths and weaknesses that help to define who we are as a person. While our strengths are typically what we present to the rest of the world, our weaknesses are usually relegated to a hidden place.
I like to believe that those things we might consider weaknesses are actually opportunities for growth, spiritual and physical. In order to attain this growth I think we have to gain a deeper understanding of who we are as individuals.
The following proverb is a Bamana proverb that I think bears meaning outside of its’ cultural context.
“Numu tè kè Dugutigi ye (A Smith doesn’t become a Chief).”
Until our words,
“Dooni dooni kononi bè nyaga da.”
Greater Intuitive Insights
April 9, 2007
Being observant of things out of balance is a key to gaining greater intuitive insights. The following Bamana proverb can probably be applied to a plethora of ideas and concepts. I like it because it is common sense:
“When the rabbit insults a hawk his companion is surely an eagle.”
I would love to get other takes on this one. I enjoy learning the different ways we approach words and their meanings.
So, until the next word: “Dooni dooni kononi bè nyaga da.”
Concerning Consciousness
March 1, 2007
Here’s another one of those proverbs which was embedded somewhere in the back of my mind from years ago. Some years back when I was working in the community doing “Rites-of-Passage” programs, I was fond of using these words. I loved watching the way the youth would take a few seconds to contemplate the words and then flash bright smiles when the epiphany occured.
The greatest blessing during that time was hearing some of the children using these words amongst themselves. I can’t place it for sure but I think I might have absorbed these words during my “Kwame Nkrumah” period. I have different phases and crossroads which mark changes in my life for me and I usually label them. This one feels like something Nkrumah used to say. Don’t quote me on this, I’m just thinking aloud.
“To not know is not a bad thing. To not want to know is a very bad thing.”
Being at ease with your decisions
February 5, 2007
As I was finishing up an article I just posted in my “Why I Do What I Do” section, titled “Little Black Boy Back of the Class”, this proverb presented itself to me:
“When you agree to walk with a child, you agree to walk slowly.”
It didn’t have anything to do with the article that I was writing but it popped into my head anyway. This is another one of those occasions where I don’t know where or when I heard or read the proverb, but here it is, making itself known to me like an old friend returning for a visit.
I like to think that this proverb has more to do with being at ease with the decisions we make. Its’ literal translation sounds nice but the truth lies somewhere deeper. For example, how often have we, consciously, involved ourselves in a project, relationship or venture while knowing full well that others involved are not fully prepared or equipped to match our level of commitment? It’s the old story of the cat that volunteered his time to teach rabbits to hunt mice and was upset when they showed no interest.
We know things in advance but still venture down the path of the inevitable anyway. We have agreed to walk with children but get frustrated when they don’t perform to our adult standards. I’m obviously speaking euphemistically here but I’m sure you all get me.
“Dooni dooni kononi bè nyaga da.”
Valuing Self
February 3, 2007
I posted previously about Fools and being Foolish. While I was completing that writing, another one of the proverbs dealing with fools and foolishness popped into my head. As they say, “there is no proverb without an occasion.”
My only regret is that, over the years, I didn’t document all of those words of wisdom I heard or read. They seem to just make visits now when the occasion calls for them to. Maybe I should be happy that they have integrated themselves into my life. That would be a more positive way of looking at it.
Anyway, here is the proverb:
“It is a fool whose own tomatoes are sold back to him.”
Just as I’ve said previously, proverbs are multidimensional. These works exist on many levels of understanding. I, personally, enjoy the understanding that each of us possess unique gifts and qualities and that, when you seek others to tell you, or give you what you already possess, you are, in essence having your own tomatoes sold back to you.
“Dooni dooni kononi bè nyaga da.”
Being the Fool
February 3, 2007
This is one of those proverbs that, in my youth, I used to employ as a weapon against others. I can’t tell you how many times I spit this one out to make a point in an argument against someone who was irritating me. Over time, I began to see it as cruel to use proverbs as offensive attacks. I regret many of the instances in my youth where I, haphazardly, employed proverbs to bring someone down.
My perspective now, and I’m not that old, is to internalize the wisdom of proverbs and resist the temptation to toss them out as one would a grenade.
One of the proverbs I have internalized has to do with recognizing my own limitations. I often tell children when I make classroom visits that “wisdom is in knowing that you do not know.” Adults tend to look at me quixotically but children seem to really get it. This proverb goes like this:
“By the time the fool has learned the game, all of the players have dispersed.”
Self explanatory right? Well, on the surface, it might be, but beneath its simplicity there lay dimensions upon dimensions of understanding (as is with any other proverb).
The dimensions I consciously choose to acknowledge this proverb are on a more personal level. I see myself as the fool who knows not. This isn’t self-denigrating. It is a reality. At some level we are all foolish when it comes to something. The key is in knowing that you do not know. For me, these are the rules of the game; knowing that you do not know.
“Dooni dooni kononi bè nyaga da.”
Proverb Created By a Young Girl
February 2, 2007
The following proverb was created by a young girl who lives just outside of San Francisco, California. She gave it to me as a gift following an appearance I made at her school, where I performed and gave workshops.
She approached me on my last day at the school, gave me a big, tight hug and told me that she had a gift for me that I was not to open until I got back to Los Angeles.
Her proverb has, “officially,” become my most favorite proverb in the whole wide world:
“A story is like a garden carried in a pocket.”
Thank you Sharie, I’ll treasure this gift forever!
Being Thankful
January 23, 2007
When times get a little rough, and ya’ll know what I mean, I sometimes turn to this simple proverb which makes me smile:
“Do not curse the creator for having created the lion, be thankful that it was not given wings.”
Can you imagine?
I know that each of us engages in our own introspective struggles and internal issues, but if, just for a moment, everyone could stop and realize that, no matter how bad you got it, someone else is having it a lot worse.
There probably is another world where lions have wings. Aren’t you glad you don’t live there?
“Dooni dooni kononi be nyaga da.”
Honest Assessments
January 16, 2007
It is a pity that so many trees are sacrificed to feed our insatiable appetite for the printed page when, often, a few short, succinct spoken words could serve us just as well. Here’s an example of one such proverb:
“The stone and the egg do not sleep in the same bed.”
Yes, I know, this sounds like common sense, but you would be surprised. There have been volumes upon volumes of books written to explain how to engage in relationships, knowing the right person to fall in love with, navigating the treacherous waters of dating, etc. I have several friends who are addicted to a genre of publishing known as “Self-Help” books. Out of curiosity I’ve perused a few pages of these manuscripts and what I have I found is that they often repeat things that our parents and grandparents told us when we were “too young” and “too smart” to listen and appreciate their sage advice. I’ve found that much of the ancient wisdom that was contained in short, simple sentences has been expanded upon with illustrations added, beautiful binding selected and published by mega-publishing houses for profit.
I am in no way casting disparaging eyes on these works or those involved in the industry of publishing; to the contrary, I know that everyone and everything has its’ place, but in a society where no one seems to have “time” doesn’t it make sense that we would want to simplify our lives a bit?
Why read a 400 page manuscript when reflecting on a few simple words could, potentially, guide you towards the same understanding?
I used to think of the above proverb as only related to relationships we have with others. I’ve now tend to think it is possible that the words can relate to the internal relationship we possess with ourselves, our own internal desire for psychological and spiritual maturity. After all, hasn’t it been said that the greatest battle a person will ever wage is the internal struggle against one’s self; those dual aspects of our personalities (egg and stone) that we are, forever, challenged to make choices between?
“Dooni dooni kononi bè nyaga da.”
Responsibility to Others
January 9, 2007
Here’s another example of a proverb that can be understood on several levels.
“When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.”
I used to employ this one years ago when I was using storytelling as a tool to aid in teaching parenting skills. It seemed to really hit home with those couples who were constantly arguing in front of their children. It became a favorite of mine during a day I was sitting outside watching my children play, when they were very young at the time and my son said it to one of his playmates. I don’t recall the context and I think my son was around 9 years old at the time. I was so shocked that I just sat there with my mouth open. None of the children noticed me sitting there with this dumb-struck look on my face, they just resumed the game they were playing as if nothing had happened.
A very pivotal moment for me. I was filled with pride at the fact that my son actually used a proverb.
Needless to say, this proverb can relate to anyone from politicians to parents, from school administrators to generals and everyone in between.
Personally, I’ve always tried to keep this in mind when charged with the responsibility of engaging young minds. I know that we, adults, are always being watched by those ever inquisitive eyes of the young.
“Dooni dooni kononi be nyaga da.”
Social Cohesion
January 8, 2007
I was once told that there is no proverb without an occasion. I really didn’t grasp the true meaning of this lesson until a few years ago when, after having committed a vast number of proverbs to memory; they began cropping up in my mind during various conversations. Very recently I experienced this phenomenon again when some friends and I were sitting around discussing everything from politics to sports and, well, yes, “Desperate Housewives.” When we broached the topic of contemporary morality, or lack thereof, I remembered the following proverb:
“The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its’ people.”
It was a readily succinct way to express what I was thinking at the time. I can’t recall where I originally heard it or read it but it feels really good when an old friend returns for a visit.
“Dooni dooni kononi bè nyaga da.”
Common Sense
January 6, 2007
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.”
Inner Strength
January 3, 2007
While proverbs can be interpreted in as many ways as there are interpreters, I take pleasure in the illusion of their simplicity. Depending on the listener’s age, experience and social integration, proverbs offer multiple dimensions of understanding. Let me give an example:
“Fire destroys the plant, but not its’ roots.”
This proverb may address an individual’s strength of character, or it could relate to something on a more grand scale. I first heard it used one of the times I was studying Kora in West Africa, Senegal. I was sitting against a wall in a compound Thiaroye playing a song on the Kora called Cheddo. There were a few older men seated not far from me involved in some kind of gambling game. One of the old men started speaking loudly and laughing at me when I started trying to sing the lyrics of the song. His Maninka was so rapid that I couldn’t grasp a word he said. I was offended and asked my patron what was so funny?
He told me that the man wasn’t making fun of me but that I had inspired him to speak a proverb: “Fire destroys the plant, but not its’ roots.”
It turned out that he was overjoyed at the fact that a man whose ancestors had been taken from the continent some 300 years ago would return and show talent in an ancient tradition.
The lesson for me in the incident was, “Don’t rush to judgment.” I’m still in the process of learning that one but I kept this proverb in my head almost as a gift from the old man.
“Doooni dooni kononi bè nyaga da.”
Patience is a Virtue
December 31, 2006
Here’s one I used to share with my oldest daughter when she was a teenager:
“Restless Feet May Walk into a Snake Pit.”
Even though I may have been a staunch disciplinarian at times when my children were younger, I always made attempts to inject some form of humor into the mix. My oldest daughter had the habit of always rushing things, never taking her time. Even when she was but a child I used to find myself constantly repeating, “slow down, slow down.”
Whether or not the lessons have been learned, I’m not sure. I”m still too busy trying to learn the lessons that I was taught as a child.
“dooni dooni kononi be nyaga da!”
