The elders can’t know it all.

Let me tell you about what ifa says concerning the youths and Elders. 

The elders cant know it all 

According to ifa, as we have areas where the elders can function well, so we also have areas where the youths can handle perfectly that no matter how experienced the elders are, they can never be effective as the youths in that area. In this odu ifa: 

Owó omodé ò tó pepe 
T’àgbàlagbà ò wo kèrèngbè
Ise èwé be àgbà kó mó se kò
Ón’ísé ti Baba n se f’ómo.

Translation:
The little one’s hand cannot reach the roof
The elder’s hand cannot enter inside a calabash’s gourd
An elder shouldn’t reject an errand the youths send him
Their are errands that a father should do for his child.

In a given society, both the elders and the youths need to work together hand in hand, some decisions should be left to the youths to make on behalf of all while the elders too should perform diligently in their own area because even the elders can’t know it all. 

According to Eji Ogbe, there’s a story of one ifa verse there where Orunmila as knowledgeable, wise, smart as he is, he humbled himself and listen to the solutions his children had to offer and he followed it. 

Death, sickness, Contention and Loss. The four of them visited Otu Ife at the same time, Orunmila did all he could to pursue them away but it all proved abortive. Out of frustration, Orunmila was returning back to Ikole Orun, he met his students on his way, Amosun and Amore.

“Orunmila, baba keyo, Awimologbon, where are you going looking so sad and angry?” They both asked. 

“I’m returning back to Ikole Orun. Four negative forces attacked us at the same time at Otu Ife and I have done all I could but they wouldn’t leave still “ Orunmila replied. 

They told Orunmila to get four Kolanut, four bitter kola and four Alligator pepper, that’s what he needed to conquer them. Orunmila did this and the four negative forces left. 

This is to tell us that, no matter how knowledgeable an elderly person is, they still can’t know it all. No matter how smart the youths are, most times they need the guidance of the elders. Everything should work together. 

A society that thinks the youths have no say in decision making concerning the community, state or country is making a very big mistake. 

I’m sharing this so that we can know the stand of Ifa which is the origin and foundation of it all concerning matters that concern the youths and the elders.

Popoola Owomide Ifagbenusola

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