Blog: Elders Council
On Discovery the teens get the opportunity to sit with elders on camp and ask them any questions they want about life the universe and everything. Today I stepped outside my comfort zone and went somewhere I would normally not have gone, a retirement village. My aim was to seek the wisdom of the elders from my community about raising kids, relationships and living a great life. My daughter Quanah and I went in (Quanah with ukulele in hand) and had the most amazing afternoon with the residents. The retirement village had asked us not to bring TV cameras in, however the residents were ok about me taking some stills and they really enjoyed Quanah's version of Happy Birthday!
Some of these people had seen war, depression, and had to cope with loosing their wife or husband. They had some amazing stories. I asked one gentleman what the secret to a happy life was, love and truth he replied. "So what is truth?" I asked. "Truth is something you feel in your heart", he said, "before your head messes with it". When I asked them about fear they retold stories of bombing raids during WW2 in England, where they remembered spending most of their nights in bomb shelters. "So what was living through war like?", I asked. "War brings out the worst in people, but it can also bring out the good", says a woman who worked as nurse. "There is always good in things, you just have to look for it".
Our time together finished with a final song from Quanah and a thank you from me for their honesty and time given to the Elders Council. I feel more enlightened and definitely comfortable enough to go back again soon.
Grant