So Wise Were Our Elders

"So wise were our elders!" Thus exclaims Mariano Chicunque, himself an elder, expressing in a single phrase the thrust of the mythic narrative tradition he simultaneously presents and represents in his storytelling. A remarkable body of mythology is documented for the first time in this volume. John Homes McDowell's study revolves around thirty-two mythic narratives of the Kamsá Indians who live in the Sibundoy Valley of the Colombian Andes, collected by the author from several renowned Kamsá storytellers. Each myth is given in the native language with parallel English translations that seek to capture the flavor of the original performances. Textual annotation and commentary assess the grounding of the myths in the language and culture of the Kamsá indigenous community. Introductory chapters describe the process of transcription and translation and highlight important characteristics of the collection. McDowell stresses the collaborative nature of the enterprise, which benefits from the shared vision of the ethnographer and of indigenous consultants who were involved in every step of the process. The narratives are portrayed as a residual mythology in transit toward folktale but still evocative of a traditional cosmos. The myths are much more than inert "literary" objects, and under McDowell's scrupulous analysis they emerge as a storehouse of narrative potential whose performances still have meaning in Kamsá society and culture today. "So Wise Were Our Elders" is a companion volume to McDowell's Sayings of the Ancestors: The Spiritual Life of the Subundoy Indians (1989).

What is the difference between a wise elder and an old man?" My definition of a wise elder is someone who lives an authentic life, shows up and knows what they want and how to get it. They are wise because they have been able to connect the dots in their lives and learn from all their life experiences. They are self-aware and able to self-correct. They also have spent some quality time considering their mortality.By contrast, an old man is basically just waiting to die. They are not very self-aware and most of what they do is try to stay in their comfort zone. They do not like change or uncertainty. They silently worry about their future and often worry about their children and other loved ones. Henry David Thoreau summed up this group of old men in his famous quote, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation."Currently, we have way too many "old men" and too few wise elders. That is the main purpose why I am writing this book. I want to inspire old men to become wise elders and I want to challenge our society to reach out to our elderly men and do things with them that help them develop their wise elder archetype and cast aside their old man archetype. I also believe that men have to take charge of their lives and create more purposeful activities in their twilight years. They can't just wait for society to change and instead they have to help it change. This book contains the wisdom of 18 contributors from the U. S. and Germany. These men share the wisdom they wish they had gotten when they were young. They also share stories of how they have mentored young men and women and what they, as wise elders, want in their life. This book is alive and full of stories and some humorous anecdotes. There is something for everyone young and old in this book. One of the contributors to the book, Rafa Flores, says this about being a wise elder, "As an elder, advocate, mentor, teacher, example, we as adults with life lessons and wisdom to share, must be proactive. If the mountain won't come to you, YOU must go to the mountain. We as self-aware conscious beings (wise elders), must go to where the kids are. It is only then that they will have access to us, and we to them. This requires awareness of the need and also the effort on our part to make ourselves available. This will truly transform the lives of elders and young people."This book is the 3rd book of a series of four books titled "The Real Men Series." The other two books are "The Male Mother: The Missing Skill Set For Fathers" and "The Servant Leader: What The World Needs Now." The fourth book, tentatively titled, "The Open-Hearted- Lover: Love Is All You Need."Barry K.Weinhold, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, CO and a licensed psychologist since 1976. He is the author or co-author of 65 books. He also co-directs the Colorado Institute For Conflict Resolution and Creative Leadership in Colorado Springs. He has been involved in the "men's movement" for 40 years and has a private practice specializing in working with men. He knows what men struggle with in their lives and how to help them reach their full potential as an authentic person.He is an avid fly fisherman and a hiker. Barry has been married to Janae. B. Weinhold, Ph.D. since 1984 and they have four children between them and several grandchildren. Together they co-direct the Colorado Professional Development Center in Colorado Springs where they offer trainings to professionals in developmental psychology, especially, Trauma-Informed-Care trainings for professionals.

Aging Wisely... Wisdom of our Elders is a unique resource that reflects the ideas, opinions and experiences of a diverse group of senior citizens. Each story provides a unique perspective on the physical, emotional, and social aspects of growing old from those who have made the journey.

“Heartfelt and ever-endearing—equal parts information and inspiration. This is a book to keep by your bedside and return to often.”—Amy Dickinson, nationally syndicated advice columnist "Ask Amy" More than one thousand extraordinary Americans share their stories and the wisdom they have gained on living, loving, and finding happiness. After a chance encounter with an extraordinary ninety-year-old woman, renowned gerontologist Karl Pillemer began to wonder what older people know about life that the rest of us don't. His quest led him to interview more than one thousand Americans over the age of sixty-five to seek their counsel on all the big issues: children, marriage, money, career, aging. Their moving stories and uncompromisingly honest answers often surprised him. And he found that he consistently heard advice that pointed to these thirty lessons for living. Here he weaves their personal recollections of difficulties overcome and lives well lived into a timeless book filled with the hard-won advice these older Americans wish someone had given them when they were young. Like This I Believe, StoryCorps's Listening Is an Act of Love, and Tuesdays with Morrie, 30 Lessons for Living is a book to keep and to give. Offering clear advice toward a more fulfilling life, it is as useful as it is inspiring.

We are thirteen indigenous grandmothers. . . . We are deeply concerned with the unprecedented destruction of our Mother Earth, the atrocities of war, the global scourge of poverty, the prevailing culture of materialism, the epidemics that threaten the health of the Earth’s peoples, and with the destruction of indigenous ways of life. We, the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers, believe that our ancestral ways of prayer, peacemaking, and healing are vitally needed today. . . . We believe that the teachings of our ancestors will light our way through an uncertain future. In some Native American societies, tribal leaders consulted a council of grandmothers before making any major decisions that would affect the whole community. What if we consulted our wise women elders about the problems facing our global community today? This book presents the insights and guidance of thirteen indigenous grandmothers from five continents, many of whom are living legends among their own peoples. The Grandmothers offer wisdom on such timely issues as nurturing our families; cultivating physical and mental health; and confronting violence, war, and poverty. Also included are the reflections of Western women elders, including Alice Walker, Gloria Steinem, Helena Norberg-Hodge, and Carol Moseley Brown.