It is true that this is my first day on Steemit, but I have never felt more like home! The feeling is ineffable!
I have written three blog-posts so far, and I am proud of every one of them for it has been a while since I have written anything.
For the past 3 days I couldn't see a trace of civilisation. I was wandering the countryside of the beautiful Congo (Also known as DRC, Democratic Republic of Congo), and as much as I have enjoyed the spectacular and heartwarming welcome of the people there, I cannot tell you how much I have missed logging in and chatting with my family. Facebook and all its likes are not a thing here, but it was exactly what I needed, for I have come out of the village with an unperturbed, relaxed mind.
Enough with the talk about myself and let me tell about the people I met on my way to Salonga National Park.
There was this old, wise-looking lady who was almost 112 years old, and who, to my surprise, thought I was so skinny (I took that as a compliment, obviously;) she narrated to me how she got married at the age of 12 and how her husband died a year later, leaving her with a baby girl.
As she unfolded to me her life story, I realised how unexperienced I was, and how tiny my knowledge of the world was compared with hers. She was 112 years old, yet she still managed to walk around, and teach me about how her people found their village; she even educated me about life and how to overcome its challenges.
One thing she didn't want to tell me was if she ever wanted to re-marry after her husband, she said she'd tell me, but I left too late at night and I couldn't wake her up.
This was possibly the most memorable experience I have had in Africa so far. I cannot wait to meet more of its kind people and learn a trick or two from th
In fine, old people are the life-books that remained unwritten, and their stories should be told so we can look back at them before making a stupid move. (I kind of fed a dwarf Chimpanzee after she'd asked me not to, and it clawed my arm. Stupid move, I know.)
Stay safe, Steemians!
Indie x
Our incredibly fast-moving, western-facing cultures seem to discount the insane amount of cultural and experiential knowledge in our elderly. Being older now, I wish I had the foresight when i was younger to sit more often with my grandparents (they are deceased now) and learn about their stories from The Great Depression, WWII, etc. Lots could have been learned, but instead...
Indeed, Daniel. As youngsters we failed to see how crucial it is to transmit the stories of the old generations.