There’s a friend of my son Garrett’s who often quotes a great philosopher. These quotes are so simple yet profound that they captured my interest. I became driven to study the entire cannon of this great thinkers’ work yet it has eluded me like the great white whale.
I’ve searched the web. I have scoured on line book stores. I even went into a real bookstore with shelves full of books and real live people to seek the writings of this marvelous philosopher all to no avail.
There is no problem finding books by Plato or Socrates. Works from Aristotle and Nietzsche are available by the score. Sadly I am unable to locate any writings by the great teacher of whom this little man speaks.
It seems this unheralded philosopher has never published a single work. It seems these teachings are passed down orally through the generations and have never been committed to paper.
I’ll share some examples of these great teachings so that you too may enjoy their simple beauty yet stone cold truth.
There was an argument over some bubble gum at our house recently and someone, I won’t say who, called Garrett a jerk (it’s Malone’s favorite name to use in name calling wars.) I heard the argument get started, followed by the rumble of little feet coming up the stairs so as to be the first child to tattle. (In their mind it is a proclamation of innocence to tattle first.)
I asked what had happened and Garrett quickly reported that Malone had called him a jerk. “He wouldn’t share his bubble gum,” Malone fired back. “AND HE IS A JERK,” she added for good measure. (I’m guessing her thinking was that if you stand accused of name calling but can actually prove your accuser is what you called them then you could be declared not guilty.)
At this point Garrett’s little friend Gavin who witnessed the ordeal shared these great words, “you’re not sposed to call people names,” he said. “You always sposed to be nice and you always sposed to share” that’s what Mamased.
Wow. What about that? It is so simple yet so true. Don’t call people names, be nice and share. That’s deep stuff. We would all be better off if we could incorporate those teachings into our life.
I thanked Gavin for sharing such wonderful wisdom and offered a ceremonial juice box to each child as a gesture of peace. Gavin took one then promptly said “thank you.” Then he added these telling words, “Mamased you always sposed to say thank you when somebody gives you a treat.”
I must search for the works of this great thinker. I’ve looked high and low with no success. I will not rest until I locate these teachings. I believe they could very well be the basic building blocks of life.
Who is this great philosopher known only as Mamased?
I’ve searched the web. I have scoured on line book stores. I even went into a real bookstore with shelves full of books and real live people to seek the writings of this marvelous philosopher all to no avail.
There is no problem finding books by Plato or Socrates. Works from Aristotle and Nietzsche are available by the score. Sadly I am unable to locate any writings by the great teacher of whom this little man speaks.
It seems this unheralded philosopher has never published a single work. It seems these teachings are passed down orally through the generations and have never been committed to paper.
I’ll share some examples of these great teachings so that you too may enjoy their simple beauty yet stone cold truth.
There was an argument over some bubble gum at our house recently and someone, I won’t say who, called Garrett a jerk (it’s Malone’s favorite name to use in name calling wars.) I heard the argument get started, followed by the rumble of little feet coming up the stairs so as to be the first child to tattle. (In their mind it is a proclamation of innocence to tattle first.)
I asked what had happened and Garrett quickly reported that Malone had called him a jerk. “He wouldn’t share his bubble gum,” Malone fired back. “AND HE IS A JERK,” she added for good measure. (I’m guessing her thinking was that if you stand accused of name calling but can actually prove your accuser is what you called them then you could be declared not guilty.)
At this point Garrett’s little friend Gavin who witnessed the ordeal shared these great words, “you’re not sposed to call people names,” he said. “You always sposed to be nice and you always sposed to share” that’s what Mamased.
Wow. What about that? It is so simple yet so true. Don’t call people names, be nice and share. That’s deep stuff. We would all be better off if we could incorporate those teachings into our life.
I thanked Gavin for sharing such wonderful wisdom and offered a ceremonial juice box to each child as a gesture of peace. Gavin took one then promptly said “thank you.” Then he added these telling words, “Mamased you always sposed to say thank you when somebody gives you a treat.”
I must search for the works of this great thinker. I’ve looked high and low with no success. I will not rest until I locate these teachings. I believe they could very well be the basic building blocks of life.
Who is this great philosopher known only as Mamased?
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment