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Conservatism, Reaction, and the Elder's Responsibility: A Message to My Age Grade

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Conservatism, Reaction, and the Elder's Responsibility: A Message to My Age Grade Great Day, Fam. This one right here? It’s not for everyone. If you’re not at or approaching Eldership—defined in our tribe as about 55 years old and up—you might not feel all of this. But if you’re curious, or if you’re one of those younger souls already walking with wisdom, you’re welcome to keep reading. This message is for the Elders. For those of us who should know better. And yes—I’m including myself. Let’s Start With the Mirror I’ve got to confess something. I’ve been guilty. Guilty of being reactionary. Guilty of falling into the trap of conservatism. Guilty of romanticizing the past. Guilty of looking at our young people and calling them “soft”—as if we were born warriors, as if we didn’t have to become who we are through fire, failure, and guidance. Many of us Elders are stuck in a loop. We remember only the highlights of our youth—the toughest times we survived, the boldest moments ...
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Tricks Are for Kids, But Stories Are Not

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Tricks Are for Kids, But Stories Are Not We live in a world shaped not by facts, but by stories . And somewhere along the line, we made the mistake of thinking stories were just for kids. At Gye-Nyame Journey , I’ve been saying this for years: the stories we tell ourselves shape our lives . The stories we hold about ourselves, our families, our communities, and our nation—these aren’t just words floating in our minds. These stories direct our behavior , mold our worldview, and set the parameters for what we believe is possible. But the problem is, most of us didn’t write these stories. We inherited them. We absorbed them. We consumed them like junk food—unaware they were feeding us poison. Narratives Are Weapons In today’s world, narratives—or “stories” as we used to call them—are some of the most powerful tools being used against us . And what’s worse is, we let it happen . We let others tell our stories for us. We allowed systems, media, and outside forces to define who we are,...
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Remember Your Family (sample)

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Today is called Kujichagulia (32222-6). This is the day when we celebrate our self-determination and family. As a member of the tribe, I'm always thinking about how I can best improve my life so that I can build something that is lasting. If my internal supports are collapsing, then what's the point? And to me, family is a huge part of that support. It's important to have both people and community in your life that you can rely on when you're facing hard times or need advice for how to move forward. I want to encourage all of you to take some time this weekend to not only connect with your family, but also reflect on some of the things they've taught you over the years: What are their values? How do they express them? What lessons have they learned that they want to pass down to you? This knowledge will be helpful whether or not your family is still around by your side. Sometimes there are people in our lives who we love and respect, but for one reason or another, w...
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Folktales As Tools Of Liberation

Peace FAM: I'm sitting at my computer preparing for my presentation to the village and I just need to get a few thoughts down, and figured I was over due for another post on my blog. It has been a long time since I have sat down to actually write, I am use to talking to the cameras as I stream my thoughts, but at this moment I need to organize my thoughts, and prepare to talk to my larger family. It is always a humbling thing for me to be invited to share my perspective. In order to get my thoughts across in the proper way I want to use this platform to construct a discussion about the power of tales, myths and legends, and their importance to our freedom struggle and personal growth. Folktales are just stories that have moved beyond the first teller of the tale. Folktales are born when a story grows beyond the original teller. The tell and the characters of the story grow and move into the pantheon of the people from which the tell was told. These stories act as conduit of info...
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Folktales by ha2tim: Unity's Tale- "Magic Bird part 2"

Folktales by ha2tim: Unity's Tale- "Magic Bird part 2" : This story begins with " Seven Sticks " These   birds   had   overcome   the   wisest   of   the   Nyame,   and   now   he   w...
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Folktales by ha2tim: Unity's Tale- "The Magic Bird"

Folktales by ha2tim: Unity's Tale- "The Magic Bird" : This story begins: with  " 7 sticks " Unity rose to his feet to address his family. Walking away from the table to make sure t...
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Folktales by ha2tim: 7 Sticks

Here is an article from one of my blogs checkit out Folktales by ha2tim: 7 Sticks : Once there was a wise man who through his good business sense, became very wealthy.  In his youth he was fortunate enough to hear about a ...
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Two Stories about the Truth

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Here are two stories about Truth that struck me as powerful. The first is from a class that I took in my college days that stuck with me until today, and the second I recently ran into while going over some Zen tales. So check them out: In the beginning the first man and woman were sitting wondering and discussing Truth. They approached the Creator and asked that they be given the Truth. The Creator denied their request, saying that they were not ready for the Truth. They continued to ask over and over again when ever they got a chance. Finally after a time the Creator respecting their persistence gave in to their request. Before the truth was given to them, they were warned that the Truth is a heavy burden and that they may live to regret their request. Man and woman were excited and prepared themselves for this gift. The Creator formed the Truth into a giant mirror and placed this new burden on the shoulders of Man and Woman. At first the Truth didn't seem to heavy or much of...
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