While looking around in paper files today, I ran across two things I thought visitors to this site might enjoy as much as I did. The first was a clipping from N’Digo--Old Wise Black Folk Sayings by Mae E’Bert. The article features Chicago writer Vanessa Cross, editor of An Anthology of Black Folk Wit, Wisdom and Sayings. It tells how research for the book led her to the origin of sayings African American children grew up hearing parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles repeat countless times during childhood.
For example, I often heard seniors say, “Even tongue and teeth fall out.” So I found it interesting to discover that the original version of that wisdom as published by Ms. Cross is “Even the tongue and the teeth quarrel now and then,” a saying that originated in Nigeria, and as presented in the N’Digo story refers to friends or enemies. Another nugget of wise thought on the same topic comes from Senegal. It is one I had not heard or read about before: “An intelligent enemy is better than a stupid friend.”
Re-reading the old clipping (which unfortunately had been clipped of its date) prompted me to reach for the book on my desk by Robert Fleming; The Wisdom of the Elders: Inspiring reflections from the heart of African American culture (Ballantine Books 1996). In it I found a comment by John Coltrane that is not as short as the African sayings, but it is just as pithy. Speaking about vigilance in 1965, Fleming records that Coltrane said:
Vigil . . .implies watchfulness. Anyone trying to obtain perfection is faced with
various obstacles in life which tend to sidetrack him. Here, therefore, I mean watchfulness against elements that might be destructive from within and without. I don’t try to set standards of perfection for anyone else. I do feel everyone does try to reach his better self. His full potential, and what that consists of depends on each individual. Whatever the goal is, moving toward it does require vigilance.
--John Coltrane
Jazz Saxophonist
The other thing I found was a free form set of inspiring thoughts written by my brother, Frank Taylor, Sr., and it sent to me back in 2003. I ask him if I might use it on the Guest Blog page because his untitled, uncomplicated contribution shows that statements from the ordinary and the extraordinary keep ancient wisdom flowing to new generations.
Ancient wisdom cuts across all cultures, all countries. Please share with us a few of your favorite sayings or positive free form thoughts. Thank you. I’m expecting to hear from you.
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