AGING
Lakota Grandmother speaking to young adult grandson:
“In the days of our youth, however, we put our faith in flesh, blood, and bone. We think strength is going faster, farther, and higher. We solve a problem by overwhelming it, or wearing it down. But there comes a time when we can no longer do that.
“Eventually we learn to our dismay that we cannot go as fast, or as far, or as high. So we learn the value of turning to our intellect, our ability to reason. We attack a problem only after we’ve studied its various parts. While flesh, blood, and bone cannot sustain strength indefinitely, we discover that knowledge can. Its strength can grow and grow, indefinitely, if need be.
“With a store of knowledge, we begin to reach for wisdom. As it is revealed to us more and more, we realize that we have reached our ultimate strength. Like knowledge, wisdom grows.
“If knowledge is strength of mind, then wisdom is the strength of the soul.”
Keep Going: The Art of Perseverance
Page 71
Joseph M. Marshall III
Author of The Lakota Way
very good reading, causing me to conclude that the purpose to higher education is to bring youth to wisdom as early as possable as a soul is a terrible thing to waiste!