| UB |
Posted
on 12-Dec-01 04:51 PM
Among the most accomplished and fabled tribes of Africa, no tribes were considered to have more warriors more fearsome or more intelligent than the mighty Masai. It is perhaps surprising then, to learn the traditional greeting that passed between Masai Warriors. "Kasserian ingera", one would always say to another. It means, "and how are the children?"
It is still the traditional greeting among the Masai, acknowledging the high value that the Masai always place on their children's' well being. Even warriors with no children of their own would always give the traditional answer. "All the children are well." Meaning, of course, that peace and safety prevail, that the priorities of protecting the young, the powerless are in place, that Masai society has not forgotten its reason for being, its proper functions and responsibilities. "All the children are well," means that life is good. It means that the daily struggles of existence, even among a poor people, do not preclude proper caring for its young.
I wonder how it might affect our consciousness of our own children's welfare if in our culture we took to greeting each other with this same daily question: "And how are the children?" Wouldn't it be interesting to hear the answer?
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