'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.