Meg Wheatley and Parker Palmer are two of my favourite authors and thinkers. The pose challenging questions which defy oversimplification. Do I walk across the street to avoid others? This is no simple question when answered in the affirmative. It says something about me that is much deeper than yes or no. It asks, “What would lead to me doing this?”, an exploration of my soul and humanness should follow.
You can tell a culture is in trouble when its elders walk across the street to avoid meeting its youth.
Quoted by Meg Wheatley in Finding our Way and attributed to Malidoma Some from Burkino Fasso and Parker Palmer. Meg Wheatley’s has written a very appreciative and moving essay Maybe you will be the ones: to my sons and their friends.
Teacher as Transformer 
Another sign is when adults are afraid of the young people.
I agree Alex. It is a two-way street.
so powerful a thought – and so disturbing, while explaining the broken cycle where youth are lost due to a loss of mentoring
You are so right Jody. We need those elder to youth relationships to pass on the wisdom of each generation.
I agree. Such a penetrating and challenging thought.
Thank you Don.
yes a powerful thought
I used too…then when I was working for the Rape Crisis center I would work with middle school and high school students…
one day we were talking about perception …how people see them…
a wonderful young man who was very articulate in his words, his manners….said
he was standing downtown San Antonio waiting to cross a street, a car pulled up to the redlight and as he stepped off the curb he heard the doors lock…he looked up and two older women, one white, one hispanic looked scared of him…he smiled (for he is just that sort of young man, always friendly) but they seem to shrink in front of him…
he was so humiliated and embarrassed that they thought he would hurt them…
he was honor roll student, dressed very conservatively polite, soft spoken and wouldn’t hurt a fly….
listening to him tell his story, I said I would never lock my doors again in front of someone, if I felt I needed to lock them I would do it when I got in…
I had the same thing happen a few years after that…I was stunned…I am a grandmother, gardener, ordinary person, and people felt threatened as I walked by their car, because I was dressed in my work clothes ( I forgot something at the store so I ran to town in my grubby gardening clothes)
I was never one to look away or cross the streets, today I am still that way..I meet people eye to eye…I smile….and say hello….majority of the time people will return the smile and say hello back, but they are also shocked aot of the times too…
this hurry up…instant gratification world has closed people I think…
that wonderful young man woke me up to see that the simplest thing as locking doors in front of young or olde shows fear….and it hurts the most innocent ….
I enjoyed your reblog….Thank you for sharing
Take Care…
)0(
maryrose
You are welcome Maryrose and thank you for a beautiful story. My mother tells us of a day when she went to the post office in the city we had just moved to. She was mailing a parcel and when the lady at the post office looked at the box she asked my mom if she had two sons who were tall and dark featured. My mom thought, “What have they done now?” but answered in the affirmative. The lady said, “They are so nice and polite.” That was 45 years ago and our mother still tells the story. It is a reminder that we are all in this together.
Wise quotation ,profoundly true.But l think our youth are our extension in life . What happened to being older being wiser?. Thank you for liking my post ( our anniversary) regards.jalal
You are most welcome.
Thanks for sharing Ivon. Raising awareness in everyone really does make a dent in the progress of humanity.
There is so much to share. Many of the blogs I follow are treasure troves of great posts and deep, mindful thinking. Thank you Lesley for the kind words.
Thank you for the reblog and the thoughts that have arisen from it.
You are welcome David.
Enjoyed. I am thankful that my car automatically locks the doors for me. And, there are times I am grateful. It is too late for caution – after something bad happens. Wise words from my mother…..
Thank you. Yes, there is much wisdom in our parents’ words.
Nice post.
Thank you Lvsrao.
I haven’t done that yet. In fact I’d love to meet younger people. I went to a new critique group today hoping a few would be say, under forty, though under thirty would have been better, but no…they were all my age! Disappointing. I like my age group. They are the best friends, but life and acquaintances should be varied.
Young people energize me, but I enjoy the company of those closer to my age as well. It allows for mature conversations to occur.