Masai tribe gives U.S.A. cows

[caleb]

With all the countrys that hate us I thought this was interesting.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Con...s&call_pageid= 968332188492&call_pagepath=News/News&col=968793972154

Even if it doesnt really help its cool that their showing support.

[ 06-04-2002, 11:19 AM: Message edited by: caleb ]

That's a really amazing article. The Masai are a fascinating people, a very positive and beautiful culture, especially in their treatment of their children, which would make an excellent model for anyone thinking about parenthood.
The act of giving cows to the US may seem trivial to some, but the cow is so much the center of Masai spirituality that this is truly a precious gift for them. Part of the Masai teaching is that all cows, regardless of where on earth they are, actually 'belong' to the Masai. Not in a sense of ownership, but in a much more basic bond that involves their duty to the herd. For them to give that duty to someone not of the Masai is a very meaningful gift.
Thanks for the post Caleb.

[caleb]

I figured it was about time for a non-spam post again absynthe

btw did the the link screw up the width of this thread.

[Memnoch]

I was actually about to post that, Caleb - I read it in the Sydney Morning Herald today. Laying aside all the politics, it's a gesture straight from the heart - quite selfless, really.

Like the New Testament story of the rich man who donated twenty gold coins, which represented a pittance of what he had, and the woman beggar who donated two gold coins, which represented everything that she had, the Masai have given something more priceless than cows - they have given something that comes straight from the heart, with no expectations of anything in return. True, unconditional generosity in this day and age is almost unheard of and it's a shame that it took at small village in the wilds of Kenya to show us that it still exists. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Memnoch]

Originally posted by caleb: btw did the the link screw up the width of this thread.

Yep...you bollocksed things up the way you normally do. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[johnny]

that was a nice thing to do indeed. It is too late for me to donate some beer ?

Guess not everyone hates the USA [img]smile.gif[/img] I do hope that gift is sincerely appreciated for the deep meaning it carries.

[Charean]

That was a real sweet and thoughtful gesture. That support means a lot to me, anyway. My ex-husband was in the Pentagon, the South side, when it was hit. The Pentagon isn't in the news much, but is should be. They are busy reconstructing as well, and they lost a lot of people. Luckily my ex survived.. even if it was down the hall.

I knew there were some good cultures out there... I am glad this hit the news.

Remember the love that was in this country for about a month after the attack? We as Americans would say hello to each other again, start conversations with people we didn't know - we felt like a community instead of a group of people who happen to live on a piece of land.

I miss that feeling.

This has resurrected some of that for me. When you give from the heart, you create that feeling in others. I am hoping this will get a LOT of press time. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[caleb]

bump

[Moiraine]

I wouldn't say that other countries "hate" Americans, Caleb. [img]smile.gif[/img] Maybe it's more of an non understanding in differences in cultural attitudes ...

Here's an example of what I mean, from France. Culturally, when talking to someone, the people from Africa put a smaller physical distance than we Europeans do. It means that, if you are an European person not consciously aware of that fact, everytime you talk to an African, you will get the primitive and unconscious feeling that he is aggressing you, while it's just a matter of different cultural stances. Hence many Europeans feel insecure about immigration from Africa, and hence the Africans feel we Europeans are cold people. While if both were aware of that small fact, relations would greatly improve ...

You U.S. people tend to have in common a very independant attitude, basically saying "we don't need others, we can manage on our own". Now that's a deeply ingrained cultural attitude dating back from a time when such an attitude was necessary for survival. Considering that the people who made the trip to America back then already had a strong thread of independance and courage.

Now combine that stance with the fact that you are currently the most powerful nation in the world, since the collapse of the communist group ... and basically what the rest of the world unconsciously perceive is that you don't give a damn about what they, we, might think or do ... which is NOT what you mean, consciously.

That's why, IMHO, understanding other people's cultures and make that knowledge widely spread is the most important thing we have to manage. Understanding against ignorance, knowledge against fear and hate. Using our brains instead of our guts ... [img]smile.gif[/img]