a tale of tails, tenacity, and tedium, as told by me, usually barefoot and bellowing

Thursday, August 21, 2014

'Membering

has always been a custom but never called that except in the poignant scene in an old movie "Beyond Thunderdome".  This scene shows Mad Max being saved by a group of children, survivors of a plane crash living in a desert oasis.  The memories were kept by having a nightly "tell" of what they 'membered from their past and what was to come in the future.  The adults left to get help and never returned. Savannah said they must 'member and began the tradition of  "tells" each night so no one would forget how they came to be.

This scene stuck with me through the years, in my opinion, the only really memorable part of this movie.  I saw the similarities to the tales of elders of all nationalities and tribes who pass down stories and keep them alive by "tells" to the children.

Myths, legends and truths are passed down this way so we can 'member.  The past is important to help us with our future.  We must continue our "tells" to assure our children and their children know from whence they came...and in those grains of truth may they find what they need to secure a future in this ever changing world.

12 comments:

jp@A Green Ridge said...

It seems that my children, who were not enthused by my "tells" when they were younger, are now recalling them as living truths...:)JP

Optimistic Existentialist said...

I fondly remember the "tells" that my grandfather passed down to me :)

gld said...

I was able to impart some family 'tells' to our granddaughter this summer. I hope she remembers.....I certainly wish my folks were still here so I could ask some questions of our past history.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Whether through verbal, writing, or drawings, stories have been passed down and survived for centuries.
And glad you found something memorable about that movie...

MadSnapper said...

it is not much easier to member things because it is written, shown in movies and photos. back when the oldsters were memering, telling was the only way to pass it down.. my parents never told anything, so i never did either... but daddy and his brothers used to tell tales of their wild lives they lived as children and teens...

TexWisGirl said...

we are losing that art, aren't we?

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

I'm afraid our youngsters are already heading toward a world where talking is a lost art. Texting & instagram is how my oldest grand communicates. I remember sitting on the porch shelling peas and listening to my parents and grandparents talk..learned a lot, sitting quiet and soaking it all in.

Empty Nester said...

Just an FYI---you won the copy of my friend's murder mystery! Email me your info and I'll get it out to you this weekend! I hope. LOL momaloft4atgmaildotcom

LindaG said...

Definitely important to pass on the past since there are so many wanting to cloud and change it.

Great post, Gail. ♥

Far Side of Fifty said...

Hopefully some of the tells will appear on the blog so they can be recalled down the road...maybe some of the "I wish Grandma was here to ask"...perhaps they will find it on the blog :)

Lynne said...

One of our most favorite family times together is around the table, telling the tales, history, moments . . . and no one leaves . . . the young ones say . . . " more, more . . . please.

Susan Anderson said...

I so agree. These stories that are passed through families are the rarest kind of treasure.

=)

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