>

SILAS ABAYOMI

SongSoptok | 1/15/2016 |





Cultural Heritage
and Modern Man

As modern man probes
into outer space,
explores deep sea beds and floors,
climbs world’s highest mountains,
searches through world forests, and
visits all deserts;
everywhere he goes,
he carries his heritage,
way of life passed on to him
by preceding generation,
ritual he will soon perform on
succeeding generation.

He goes with his language-
verbal and written forms-
he records all observables,
documents everything seen,
draws every desirable item and
tells everyone who care to listen.

Language-the cord of life-
letters in a written form,
words in sound by
speech making,
a major culture addictive and
preservative common only
among humankind;
language the everlasting chain
between yesterday and today,
bridge that connects
the present to the future.



By means of language-
culture is created,
by means of written words
culture is preserved, and
through spoken words
culture is passed on
generation after generation.

Language a priceless resource
for social integration and
individual development;
language-foundation-
upon which social institutions
are built,
vehicle-to transmit knowledge.

Language-the ladder or
up-and-down step to
promote, preserve, and protect
culture,
tangible and intangible;
pathway of life
from sunrise to sunset.

Oh! How inspiring to learn
modern man builds his world
from culture passed on to him,
from customs and practices
come standards and social norms
he creates ethics;
from conscience nurtured
values,
he promulgates laws
to guide inter-human behavior.



Patterns of behavior
man develops from
traditions and customs,
behavioral pattern-
he glorifies and elevates
into a culture-
the way of life.

Continuously, the culture
he re-creates through a
cycle of rebirth, re-generation,
growth, and development.

Religion-the urge to worship-
something supernatural
or someone supreme,
mankind had developed;
even though, devotion, reverence,
and worship are intrinsic,
right or wrong, good or bad,
religion, mankind elevates to
a multi-purpose highway-
highway traverse by different
travelers-
for different reasons and purposes.

Culture promoters, politicians
moralists, intellectuals,
big business see religion-
differently;
still religion they turn to
because of its appealing value
and influence it wields on
mankind.



Do you have a home to call
your own?
Even as it provides shelter,
security, comfort, and safety
for haves and have nots;
homes, architectural
make up, and composition
define humankind differently,
by geography, status, climate
interest, and desire.

Our homes-wooden, or
concrete, small or big, hut or
high rise apartment, longhouses,
pit houses, cottage, mansion
are rooted in our culture,
essential part of human heritage
that speaks volume about
individual personality.

Do you see your
immediate environment and
resources in it-flora, fauna,
organic and in-organic materials-
as a mere wealth creation?
Or part of a global home,
caring for a particular section
within a “global village” or
neighborhood?


Wonder why people of
different climates and regions
survive till this day?
Eskimos in arctic, Siberians in
arctic circle,
Berbers and Tuaregs in
Sahara Desert,
Himalayans, and those living
close to seas?

Our natural heritage-
a significant part of earth’s
biodiversity has continued to
shape people of differently;
from oriental to occidental
culture may vary, heritage differs,
values, traditions, customs,
conventions may not be same.


Regardless of where people
may live,
which culture they practice,
just as people remember that
culture and heritage are
their molder,
neither must people forget that
humans all over have same needs;
physiological, safety, love/belonging,
esteem, and self-actualization,
five essential needs of every
living human that are rooted
in every culture of a geo-political
confine.


[SILAS ABAYOMI]

Comments
0 Comments

No comments:

Blogger Widgets
Powered by Blogger.