When Old People Speak
Jul 31st, 2008 by John
When Old People Speak
by
John W Frye
When old people speak
listen for the ages in their words.
They say “I remember” and we skip
back over Viet Nam, over Churchill and World War II,
landing somewhere in the Great Depression,
feeling the hot dust and deprivation.
When old people speak
honor the silences that carry time,
fragile yet weighted with life;
the silences from which startling,
future-shaping words embrace the soul.
When old people speak
don’t confuse the wispy, airy sounds
with lack of strength or depth of soul.
Imagine life so full, so hard, with pain and peace,
that words are too flimsy to bear it.
When old people speak
sit and watch, listen and listen well,
for their frail, soft utterances
define, refine meaning in your journey,
saving you from all that’s hollow.
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i think that i need to listen more carefully.
a life without reflection is no life at all….
good stuff John….just good stuff….thanks!!!
I love to sit and listen to the “old” stories. My generation and those that follow have much to learn. Blessings John.
nancy,
a timely and needed discipline for all of us…
Mark Vandersteeg,
thanks for your encouraging words…I agree with you: reflection brings depth and meaning to our fleeting days…
Mike,
Don’t you find that stories really don’t age? There are no “old” stories. They seem to keep their life.
Beautiful John. Thank you for sharing.
It is so sad that older people become almost invisible as they move slowly in the midst of our frantic-paced lives.
I remember my parents, aunts and uncles telling their stories and connecting me to my past. Sadly, those who spoke are gone, but the stories remain.
Sit and listen…… now – there’s something different!!!
Thankyou for posting these words.
Grace,
I agree, and it’s to our loss that old people become invisible.
Thanks for your kind words.
Fred,
It is a great gift to have memories of those story-telling times. Keep the tradition going.
Mark R,
Isn’t it revolutionary!? To just sit and listen well.
I’m going to visit my grandma today. She is 94. I needed to hear this… Thanks!
Laura,
Your grandma is a gift to you…steward the gift well…which I am sure you will do…94…wow.
Agreed John. Thanks for the correction.
John,
I really enjoyed this post.
Mike #15,
No, not so much a “correction” as an additional thought.
Peace.
Preacherman,
I am grateful that you enjoyed it. Run the race!
God bless you!
John
Good one, John.
Thanks, Milton.
Peace.
[...] John Frye over at Jesus the Radical Preacher wrote the following wise words [...]
[...] very nice post by John Frye, "When Old People Speak." This is a short piece but says much. (Yes, I know [...]