4 views
“When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground”
#TheWritingProject
“When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground,” African proverb
Meaning: 'Library' here refers to 'knowledge' while 'old man' means a 'wise person'. It means, therefore that when a wise person dies, all his knowledge dies with him.
As we lead our lives, our accumulated experiences are like books we create and hold inside ourselves. Think of stories you tell, and how much you omit just to keep them short and to the point. But if you added all the details, it would be a chapter—or many— rather than a paragraph or two! Each day of your life you are adding chapters to this spooling story, and the stories others have told you of theirs.
By the end of your life, you have a vast collection of vivid sights, sounds, smells, feelings, all spun into millions of story memories. This is your library. When you are gone, so is the library.
Old men, old women, and even younger adults and children have much to teach us about life and about ourselves if we provide venues through which their wisdom and experiences can be shared.
Even better than good eulogies are remembrances that celebrate the “lives that have been lived” of those who are still with us.
If we record a single hour of conversation with a wise person, think what a legacy their voice will be for the young generation. We must encourage our students to be writers, historians, and teachers. We must educate students to understand the culture into which they are born and teach them to drink from its rich waters as they educate future generations.
“When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground,” African proverb
Meaning: 'Library' here refers to 'knowledge' while 'old man' means a 'wise person'. It means, therefore that when a wise person dies, all his knowledge dies with him.
As we lead our lives, our accumulated experiences are like books we create and hold inside ourselves. Think of stories you tell, and how much you omit just to keep them short and to the point. But if you added all the details, it would be a chapter—or many— rather than a paragraph or two! Each day of your life you are adding chapters to this spooling story, and the stories others have told you of theirs.
By the end of your life, you have a vast collection of vivid sights, sounds, smells, feelings, all spun into millions of story memories. This is your library. When you are gone, so is the library.
Old men, old women, and even younger adults and children have much to teach us about life and about ourselves if we provide venues through which their wisdom and experiences can be shared.
Even better than good eulogies are remembrances that celebrate the “lives that have been lived” of those who are still with us.
If we record a single hour of conversation with a wise person, think what a legacy their voice will be for the young generation. We must encourage our students to be writers, historians, and teachers. We must educate students to understand the culture into which they are born and teach them to drink from its rich waters as they educate future generations.
Related Stories
