The Power of Our Stories
by We have forgotten the power of our stories; practical wisdom held and shared to help us deal with everyday problems and cyclic hardships. We have forgotten how to listen to grandma’s advice saturated with practical wisdom and generations of time tested experience. Instead, we listen to today’s stories loaded with cheap advice and lacking the tell-tale signs of worn wisdom.
Many, many years ago in tribes and villages across the world people would gather to hear Elders tell stories and share experiences.
“I remember when the people were in desperate times like these…” an aged voice would start. And the sharing amongst those wiser in years than ourselves would begin.
That voice is all but a memory for most of us.
We have forgotten just how important these stories have been to the generations before us, and the importance they are to each of us today.
These stories contain invaluable lessons and practical time-tested experience. They teach about our selves, beyond our selves. On how to be and how not to be, how to get more from our harvest, what techniques were used a hundred years ago to stop blight and who to talk to about a problem we were having with our relatives.
Elders would teach us about who we are and where we come from and where we are going. They would comfort and mend our spirits and minds with the healing sounds of our songs, language, laughter and the bitter sweet tears of experience. They would save hours in the school of hard knocks and broken backs.
Practical and beyond wisdom. Stories have power. They go deep in to our souls, our spirits, our minds, our bodies and like babies they make a home there and they grow and learn to walk and talk and wander around.
Before long our stories are doing things in the world. Our words live, breath and walk on what we have feed them and taught them, what we’ve raised them up on. Sometimes, they grow up to be horrible monsters creating hell on earth.
Once in a while, though very rarely you see a story that brings hope and healing.
We have forgotten about the power of our words and the value of our stories. We don’t share stories any more and we don’t listen.
We have replaced wisdom with stories of our poverty, disease, addiction, abuse and the atrocities we have experienced, over and over again. We tell stories of one another’s misfortune, mistakes and confusion.
We share songs of lying and cheating, “dogging” one another. Someone done someone wrong.
We remember and dwell in our sickness rather than remembering stories that teach us strength and healing.
What stories have we committed to memory?
What stories will we leave for the next generation? What stories will survive into the next century? Stories of pain or of renewal? Stories of ashes or of the phoenix?
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Post CommentDiane's Native American Star Quilts
On October 2, 2008 at 4:11 pm
This is such an awesome, inspiring article. It is told by someone who knows how the ways of our Grandmothers and Grandfathers have brought culture and wisdom down through the ages so that the younger generations can learn them, and in turn, pass them on to their own children.
Every day we hear of an elder who has passed away… And we know that one more part of our beloved past is gone forever.
One of my fondest wishes is that the young will find it in their hearts to actively SEEK OUT ELDERS, and not wait for the elders to come to them first. Our elders have no way of knowing who is or is not interested in talking to them about the old ways, so it is up to the young to knock on that door and say, “I’m here, I’m interested, and I want to learn.” Oh the joy this would bring to an elder! Our elders truly DO want to share the enormous store of memories they have. We only need to go to them and ask for it.
Diane Hill
Diane’s Native American Star Quilts
http://www.nativeamericanstarquilts.com
adrienne lent
On October 2, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Beautiful job Gemma! I can’t wait to read more.
Thea
On October 3, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Thank you for bring this topic to our consciousness. Illustrating the power of words and stories, and the essential thread that weaves one being to another. An elder in this case to a younger giving the gift of wisdom and words while being gifted with the attention of one that is willing to listen. Powerful stuff. Please keep talking about this. Please keep reminding us that we don’t have to learn everything the hard way, alone, but that we can ask the help of those that have more time on this earth, and therefore, more perspective.
J-Rod
On October 11, 2008 at 10:47 am
Thank you so much for sharing this insight with us Gemma. This really makes me happy to be part of several communities that focus on the beauty of humanity rather than the passing along of negative forces. I am so honored and blessed to have people like you in my life passing on the wisdom of our elder and peoples. Keep up the inspired work!
Somnolent
On December 7, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Hey, This Is really interesting! Please read my article too and press the “I Liked It” button if you liked it, I did it to you
Greenlvl3