By
Obododimma
Oha
Ageing is
one interesting process through which
we, as humans, literally go through life as a journey that passes
through some stages. These stages may define our social and cultural roles but
also suggest to us that our world is uniquely characterized by this kind of
lifespan, for if a being from another galaxy is around to subject the ageing to
its own concept of time, it may turn out to be too short or too long. A being
from another world (assuming other galaxies are not really empty!) may be born
in our morning time but becomes an old person (quickly so soon!) in the afternoon.
But ageing in our world, subject to its many challenges and characterized by
several cultural and social roles, has “witnesses.” In fact, culture and
society are its main witnesses. The Igbo culture explains the presence of these
many observers of ageing in the saying, “Nka bụ onye na-aka, ụmụnna ya
ana-elele” (One’s kinsfolk are witnesses to how one is ageing). The concern of
this short essay then is how one’s kinsfolk play the role of witnesses to ageing
and how ageing without knowing it becomes shameful.
One in
society is expected to perform certain tasks, from contributions (ụtụ ụmụnnadị or contributions to justify membership of community) through
age-grade membership to ịbụ mmadụ ọnụ
ruru n´okwu (somebody who could contribute meaningfully to discourse in
community). It is through these and many more that one’s kinsmen can observe
one and be able to state that one’s ageing is admirable and noble. In that
case, ageing is normally not a shameful thing. But if one is ageing and lying
and stealing and drinking hard as witnessed by these cultural forces, one is
said to be bringing old age to disrepute. How could one be aged in my culture
and not be mmadụ ọnụ ruru n’okwu in
the age-grade and the ụmụnna or
community of the kinsfolk? How could the mmadụ
ọnụ ruru n’okwu not have a wife, at least somebody to be giving him hell
from time to time or te nearest other to manage?
That culture
is a major witness also means that the person ageing is expected to be fairly
familiar with applicable cultural practices, not somebody who cannot tell left
from right and has to ask other people or invite them to teach and explain. Not
somebody who does not even know the names of things in the culture, not to talk
of processes and practices. That somebody puts on the red cap in the Igbo society
does not make that person an informed elder. Otherwise, the politician from the
outside in dressing the local way could be mistaken for an elder of the land.
But we know that such a politician is just a deceiver! That deception becomes
clearer after an election. The costuming and play-acting go with the election.
Gradually, we
are beginning to see “elders” who are not elderly, whether in mind or body,
elders who are not only uninformed about culture but go ahead and destroy the
remaining ones: what, in the playful Igbo expression would be described as “ime
omenelu” (doing that which belongs up there), not the normal “omenala”
(literally that which belongs down here on the ground). We are beginning to see
elders who sell chieftaincy titles even to those sworn to destroying the
culture, or elders who cannot tell the significs of the very regalia that they have on.
A very simple
example. The Igbo tradition is built on links and harmony networks with the
past and community and does celebrate this in the practice of ife nhu (paying homage with gifts or giving
tributes). In our Uri culture, the person deserving of the ife nhu in the extended family is the most elderly who holds the ọfọ
(wooden symbol of authority). This ife
nhu, which is annual, is done with tubers of yam (any number one can
afford), some drinks, and sometimes with a fowl or goat. It is seen as a
servicing of bond through which the observer can walk before humanity and the
spiritworld blameless so that the elder cannot hurt tribute giver at all if he
wants to.It is a kind of cultural immunity. The observer is protected before humanity
and the spiritworld. But are today’s elites interested?
As with the
elder in the family so the ife nhu
spirals out into a community observance, in which case the whole community
observes it annually to the elderly people in certain circles of community,
indeed living out the Igbo saying that “onye fechaa eze, eze erue ya” (after
serving the king, it could get to one’s turn to be king). If one does not even
know how to serve the king, how can one carry it out?
Ask the
descendants of Chinua Achebe’s Oduche, who knows how to lock up the royal
python inside a box, whether they know much about their culture before becoming
elders. As the years go bye, elders thin out and forgetfulness climbs onto the
stool of leadership of community in the land. Forgetfulness sits arrogantly
there!
I am sorry
for that community without elders, that community in which growing old is just
one of those things, and in which one shouldn’t even grow old, a community
where old ones still think that they are teenagers, wearing shorts to public
ceremonies and competing with young ones in playing and enjoying their kind of
music! But, indeed, the ideal thing is that as one gathers the years, one
should know that one is not getting younger and should begin to drop those
things of youth for youths. An elderly that knows this is really an elder.
As it is with
individuals, so it is with societies, for instance, those in the process of
growth such as the so-called post-colonial nation-states. Some of these need to
be worried that they have attained ripe old age, say 50, and have remained in
the backyard of basic civilization, maybe due to persistent bad leadership and
mismanagement of natural resources. Ayi Kwei Armah the novelist could lend us
the concept, “man-child,” for the description of these countries. While some
countries are fast doing amazing things and moving into the league of the civilized, some are retreating into the jungle, with
their advocates here and there justifying their backward choices. Man-child countries, which should be seen as badly-run companies instead!
It is good to
be ageing. It means that the entity is given the chance to run full course. But
the entity may squander the opportunities! And it is regrettable!
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