In earlier times, when someone came to the village elders with some kind of malaise, the wise women asked,
- When did you stop dancing? When did you stop singing? When did you stop listening to the birds chirp and watching the butterflies flit about on the flowers? When did you stop playing?
I learned this from my wise woman friend. She just returned from camping. We were riding home from dance. My friend loved the hour of conversationless, unscripted, community movement.
My variations of the village elder questions are,
- When did you stop saying what you mean and meaning what you say without being mean when you say it?
- When did you stop doing the things that make you whole?
And…
- When will you start doing them again?
