FootprintsintheWind.com

I don’t tell you what your long view should be about. I share mine, knowing that I am missing 99.9% of the colors, aromas, flavors, touches, notes, movements, spirits.

:- Doug.

Do you put your long view forefront?

:- Doug.

I come from a long skipping line of elders.

:- Doug.

You can begin to see how it all fits together. Given this viewpoint, what’s your responsibility to the grandchildren?

:- Doug.

Structure (Development)
Function, process, habit (Panorama)
Purpose, reason (Spirit, Meeting)

:- Doug.

Do you see what just happened? How it came about? Why it came about? How far down do you drill to get the whole picture so you can do something effective?

:- Doug.

An elder finds it natural to ask “How does what I do affect the grandchildren, the community?” Consequences ripple. They become visible. Choices tend to become visible.

:- Doug.

Elders have a chance higher than other folks of seeing the purposes of humanity. If we can then communicate these the grandchildren of humanity have a higher chance of going in better directions.

:- Doug.

Humans assume we have a purpose beyond simply surviving.

:- Doug.

God is love is God does not exhaust the whole story.

:- Doug.

Feedback is conversation is feedback.

:- Doug.

Even if we had no children we can still be grand.

:- Doug.

Eldering is a whale word. People cannot digest it at one take. Let’s go bite by bite.

:- Doug.

Movements—such as us—reciprocally modify each other, increasing the cooperation of distinctives (and the distinctiveness of cooperators). Each instrument sings its own voice.

:- Doug.

Look! How is it all connected?

:- Doug.

Expect the unexpected.

:- Doug.

Eldering is a spiritual practice based in playfulness—that is, love.

:- Doug.

Developing your eldering skills.

:- Doug.

You, an elder.

:- Doug.

For the grandchildren.

:- Doug.

Never retire! Participate!

:- Doug.

Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1743

The sense to use with crazy talk in the dying is Let’s find out. Be curious. Ask. He might just be using metaphor or saying it in story. She might just want assurances that you will be OK, that she will be OK. Something may be coming up for which these are the words stuck in his mouth. Have compassion. Tell me about what you just said. Are you trying to say…? Guess. She will correct you if you’re off the mark. Explore. Even when it blunders, love is welcomed.

Please pass it on.

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We’ll not do anything for the grandchildren until we get participatory.

:- Doug.