All of us have endured some ‘ratchet-jaw’ relative who just won’t stop talking about the past. With luck, that person tells some factual tales that are at least interesting or have some historic value.
From today’s image, we learn of the African representative of a historic storyteller, who was known as a Griot. Personally, I feel it would be an honour to be called a Griot! It would establish that you were recognized for telling good quality information that people embraced and valued, perhaps like a skilled interpretive center attendant.
Author and historian, Alex Haley, had a Griot tell him his family history about ‘Kunta Kinte’, the original African ancestor. Today, each of us can contribute to keeping the past alive with all of our wonderful stories and recollections.
