By ignoring the past, we are encouraged to repeat its mistakes. The ‘generation gap’ is an important social tool for any repressive society. If the younger members of a community view the older members as contemptible or suspect or excess, they will never be able to join hands and examine the living memories of the community, nor ask the all important question, ‘Why?’ This gives rise to a historical amnesia that keeps us working to invent the wheel every time we have to go to the store for bread. We find ourselves having to repeat and relearn the same old lessons over and over that our mothers did because we do not pass on what we have learned or because we are unable to listen. For instance
We know that health is an holistic concept. We know that we need to be mentally and spiritually and physically well to be properly well. Right? Coming from New Zealand I understand (in a very simple way) the Maori idea that we need to connect with nature to be well. People who come from mountains need to spend time with mountains, those from rivers, forests and the sea need to connect with their special places too. Our place is a part of who we are. As people from Whanganui say: ‘Ko te awa ko au, Ko au te awa’ The river is me and I am the river. Maria Mercè Conongla and Jaume Soler are Spanish psychologists who have developed a similar concept into a school that they call Emotional Ecology.
