Audiobook--\"Wisdom: Now and Always\"
Description
Vocal Characteristics
Language
EnglishVoice Age
Middle Aged (35-54)Accents
North American (General)Transcript
Note: Transcripts are generated using speech recognition software and may contain errors.
do you recall the first time you witnessed wisdom in action? When we were eight years old, my grandmother gave us a terra plant to care for. We call them Julie. You plant them as many baby Taro's, and when they grow, you separate them and then they become large Taro's on which you feed the family. So she gave one to each of us, my brothers and me to grow and care for. So we put them in little coconut shells with soil and water. But at that age, caring for anything is not something that comes naturally. You enjoy, you play. It's a given that the Children have no sense of responsibility. So I didn't care for my tarot. The soil dried out, the Julie got no water and the leaves dried. About a week later, she called me to bring my tarot. And then I remembered and thought, Oh my God, my tarot! It was dried out and looked dead. She acted like I had allowed something precious to die. I was so sad, so remorseful. It had that much of an impact that even today, when I think about it, it makes me reflect in a good way. I thought it was dead not knowing any better. But the tarot is a very resilient plant. All you have to do is water it again and it will come back. So she said, How do you feel? I was so apologetic. I said, What can I do? And she said, Well, if you can care for it and love it, it might come back. So I became very dedicated. Every day I watered it and checked on it. I made sure that it got just enough sun. Then I put it in the shade. About a week later, the first green started to show, and in two weeks the leaves were there and it came back toe life. That was the greatest lesson I had ever learned about respecting life. Life is not something that you should take for granted or abandon, so that kind of wisdom at that age was fundamental to building my character and actually the character of most Children in our village. I grew up in a coastal village in American Samoa, in the South Pacific. Those are the kinds of experiences that I tried to simulate in some way with my grandchildren they can learn the importance of caring for something that to us is our kin. Be responsible, love, respect and care for it. So you learn about caring and respect for life through that activity. At the same time, you also learn humility. All of this came to me wrapped up around a little dry, shriveled and seemingly dead little taro shoot Grandmother guided my first steps on this journey that will continue to affect my entire life with such love and kindness. Such lessons were planted in my soul and grew with me as I matured that deep feeling, the euphoria, that gratitude and love as a result of the lesson of the baby Taro has guided my life ever since.