re-elders

John Wayne is a symbol of Americanism. The independent spirit, the do it my way or be blasted into kingdom come. Because of this pioneer mentality, each generation seems to have the need to seperate itself from previous generations and pioneer a new path instead of improving/extending the old paths. Even our parents generation, paved a new path and rejected the paths of their fathers, and each generation refuses to admit that they might have errors in their path.

Our generation is even worse, we get tired of a path after a few months. We have the consumer mentality that every three months everything needs to change. Top ten songs don't last long, we move on to the newest music, with the coolest beat. Our gadgets change with the wind, and our culture just keeps reinventing itself.

Growing up in different cultures, I noticed several differences. One was that each generation didn't feel the need to build brand new paths. They were content to walk the old paths, just improve or extend their reach. Much like the farmer, who passes the farm to his son, then passes the farm to his son etc... The farm is the same, but the tools change as the leader changes.

So I think the problem is not that elders are bad, we've just got an individualistic society that can;t see beyond itself. The great question is not what kind of elders our parents were, but what kind are we going to be. In some of the things I hear, and some of the things I see/say it seems that we may be a chip off the old block after all. When my son hears me rant and rave about the elders around me, then one day he too by learned behavior will probably rant and rave about my selfish ways.

It seems to me that we need to find some Gandalfs (elders). We need to show our children that their is a legacy that we belong to, and we must continue. While much has changed the lack of vision beyond our own lives is still alive and well. Let us find the diamonds amongst the coal and treasure them, but let us not discard the diamonds simply because the coal is in the way.



Saint Alford