Our Individual Responsibilities (Agba wa di Owo Wa)
A verse of an Odu Ifa says in part:
Agba mi di owo mi
Elderly mine in hand me [to conduct myself with maturity is my own responsibility]
Agba re di owo re
Elderly yours in hand yours [to conduct yourself with maturity is your own responsibility]
Agba kii wi fun 'ni tele ki o to kan 'ni
Elderly do not tell for one before it reach one [prematurely, one may be thrust into assuming a position of responsibility— a leadership position].
Aging can mean the accumulation of certain number of years. It can also be construed to mean the bodily outlook of a person. Both definitions of aging are correct from the view point of physical appearances. We probably know of bodies that have been around five, six, or seven decades but look like they are just approaching the third, forth, or fifth decades of their existence on earth. Likewise, there are bodies that look like they have been around a long time but have actually been around a shorter time. However, another definition to aging comprises (a) the number of years the owner of the body has been around, (b) the kind of quality experience s/he decides to garnered, (c) the blending of the lengthy years and the garnered quality experience, and (d) the resultant exhibition of the blended age-cum-quality experience. To some people, this resultant exhibition is known as wisdom.
It is this kind of wisdom that Orunmila refers to in Ifa when he says, "Agba kii wi fun 'ni tele ki o to kan 'ni (prematurely, one may be thrust into assuming a position of leadership") . Sometimes, we find ourselves in situations whereby we have to act quickly and maturely to bring about a missing or a needed balance, be it in a private or a public place. However, the ability to handle anything with maturity requires the handler to be matured in the first place. Since life itself is in constant evolution, we, the people who populate life, should endeavor to take advantage of that revolving process and evolve ourselves, too, with the wisdom that comes with having been around a little while. May Odumare grant us ogbo (long life), ato (good health), and wisdom with which to enrich ourselves and the lives of people whose paths will cross our paths. Ase.
While thanking Yeye Olomitutu for the distribution of this post and previous posts,
responses or electronic correspondence to the post should be sent to :
Chief FAMA, author of the post, at Ileorunmila@ aol.com (http://us.mc01g.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Ileorunmila%40aol.com) or by subscription to Ifaseeyen@yahoogrou ps.com (http://us.mc01g.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Ifaseeyen%40yahoogroups.com).
Aboru aboye.
Chief FAMA
Ileorunmila. com
1 909 886 6023.