Old Words-Wisdom of Our Elders

"Zankey ga gana albeeri fonda." "Children will follow the path of the elders." — (Songhay saying)

I came upon this saying in an article written by Paul Stroller, Ph.D. entitled "The Wisdom of Elders” while researching the benefits of life story legacy videos for younger viewers of the videos.

In the article, Stroller states:

The revered status of elders is certainly present among the Songhay people of the Republics of Niger and Mali. For Songhay people, elders are people whose minds have ripened with experience, which means that they alone are capable of receiving and comprehending important knowledge—of history, of social practice, of healing, and, ultimately of the existential whys and wherefores of living in the world. The greatest obligation of Songhay elders is to pass on their knowledge of the world—their wisdom—to the next generation. Put another way, among the Songhay people, elders are the foundation of social cohesion and viability, which means that their path is a good one to follow.

Open Our Ears to the Old Words

Stroller goes on to lament how elders are not respected and revered in contemporary society in the United States. We focus too much on youth. He thens talks about the “old words” of the Songhay elders.

In my life, I have had the great fortune to sit and listen to elders of the Songhay people of Niger. When they had something important to teach about courage and cowardice, honor and shame, men and women, children and adults, health and illness and not least, life and death, they would tell me to sit quietly and open my ears. They said that I might not understand the full significance of their message. Even so, they insisted that I remember their “old words.”

As time has passed and experience has deepened my comprehension of living in the world, I have remembered their “old words,” which have enabled me to understand more completely the knowledge they had imparted to me. Almost all of the Songhay elders I knew have joined their ancestors, but their words linger in my consciousness. In the turbulence of our times, their “old words” anchor me. They give me purpose and direction. By connecting the past to the present and charting a course from the present to the future, their wisdom has given me a way to move toward a healthier and more socially inclusive existence.

Opening our ears to the “old words” is very important. While the nature of society is ever evolving and we do not want to be constrained by outdated norms of prior generations, there remains much to be learned from our elders. In 2022, many of my family members and friends are in a general malaise about the current state of our society and the direction it is headed. In many conversations, the last resort to avoid sinking too deep into a funk is to recall that our ancestors faced far worse challenges. It would be good to be able to listen to some of the “old words” of our ancestors speaking of how they persevered through much more difficult times. Being able to listen to the “old words” requires intentional effort to ask our elders and being open to hearing their stories.

Old Words As Life Anchors

We must create opportunities and invitations for our elders to tell their stories in the Songhay tradition and open our ears, minds, and hearts. Hearing the “old words” through intergenerational story telling will plant anchors in younger family members’ minds that will make it easier for them to navigate The Voyage of Life. In many respects “children will follow the path of the elders.” They will face the same broad challenges and opportunities of a life journey through childhood, youth, adulthood, work, possibly marriage, possibly parenthood, and, hopefully, old age. As Stroller stated, the Songhay elders were speaking about universal themes such as “courage and cowardice, honor and shame, men and women, children and adults, health and illness and not least, life and death.” Elders need not philosophize on these grand topics. They will convey their “old words” by speaking about specific personal, family, community, and historical events in their lives and how they accomplished goals, faced setbacks, made mistakes, experienced joy, and endured through sorrow.

Thanksgiving - Time for Intergenerational Storytelling

You should invite your elders to share “old words” during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. There are many conversation starter guides on the Internet. The questions need not start out at the level of the topics listed above. It is probably best not to ask such existential questions between the passing of the turkey and dressing. However, research indicates that younger family members benefit from knowing even basic facts about the lives of their parents, grandparents and other family members. Dinnertime might be a better time for some of the lighter topics mentioned in the conversation prompts listed on the references below.

Conversation Prompt 1

Conversation Prompt 2

Arranging a session before or after Thanksgiving day might be best for more serious conversation. You should consider making an audio or video recording of the conversation. There are some DIY tips on how to record a storytelling session on my website. A smart phone audio recording or a video recording with an inexpensive tripod and good natural lighting will be adequate. The key is good sound for both an audio and video recording. If you use a smart phone or a camera, I suggest that you purchase an inexpensive lavalier microphone and test the recording levels.

You may want to consider my services producing high quality life story legacy videos as a way to preserve some of the “old words” of a family member and share the benefits of intergenerational storytelling with future generations. Even if you have not yet reached family elder status, you may want to do your own life story video to impart some of your wisdom. For more information including sample videos, see my website at www.LifeStoryLegacyVideos.com. Feel free to contact me. We can schedule a time to talk about the process.

Bryon