Disappearing Wisdom

People grow old, retire and eventually pass away.  They may have raised their children well, who are blessings to the world.  They may have been scientists, engineers, professionals, …, improving this world.  They have have been kind to people, making the world a better place.  In other words, they may have made their contributions to the world. In the process, they have also lived through many experiences, acquired a great amount of wisdom.  But few people listen to them when they grow old and retire.  When they pass away, their valuable knowledge and wisdom perish, lost forever.

In the mean time, another generation of children and young people are growing up, learning largely the same things, repeating the same learning process, again and again.  Yes, there are a lot of things that each person has to experience personally, in order to internalise that lesson, to make that wisdom their own.  But surely that distilled wisdom of the elderly, acquired with so much effort, can help to speed up that process, to make that learning more efficient, so that each generation can build on the hard work of the previous? It works, at least, for me.  I have learned so much by reading, listening to, and observing wise people.

As it is, much of that wisdom will disappear with the passing of the elderly.  What a waste, isn’t it?  What a pity.  Why is life so very wasteful?  Why isn’t life designed - alternatively, why hasn’t life evolved - to be more efficient?  Why can’t their wisdom be put to better use?  Certainly, not all the thoughts and ideas of even smart people are truly wisdom worth conserving.  But surely there is enough that are?  

I cannot dictate what other people do.  But while I still can, I am determined to continue to teach service-learning for as long as people allow me to.  I am determined to advocate learning to be thinking believers.  Beyond that, I will not just enjoy life, have good food, travel, share time with good friend, …, and have a good time for myself.  I am determined to write, to put my best experiences, thoughts, …, in words, supplemented with photographs I have taken on places, people, beautiful objects, out there for whoever cares to read them.  I will make beautiful things with my hands, from natural materials, to cherish beauty in God’s creation.  I will do my best to make someone’s life a little better, make the world a little better.  I will speak with anybody who is interested, even only one at a time.  I will do my best to support people who are trying to live authentically.  

In order to do that, I also have to avoid wasting my time.  I have to avoid attending ceremonies of no meaning to me.  I will not attend events organised for the sake of having an event.  I will not attend an event just to make up the numbers.  I will not speak with people who are only interested in themselves.  I have to avoid people who are excessively negative.  

When I have to go, I want to be able to say I have lived a good life.