From The Heart Of Africa

From The Heart Of Africa

Juvenile nonfiction
What is your favorite aphorism? Every society has them--pithy
phrases through which to distill wisdom.
*A stitch in time saves nine.
*Haste makes waste.
*The early bird gets the worm.
Those are a few I grew up hearing.
Eric Walters' From The Heart of Africa brings readers some
memorable sayings from different cultures that make up the continent
of Africa and their meanings. Some of my favorites are:
*I pointed out to you the stars, but all you saw was the tip of my
finger." (Sukumo People, Tanzania). I think a contemporary American
version could be: "I tried to point out to you the stars, but you
wouldn't look up from the screen of your smart phone."
*"When in the middle of the river, do not insult the
crocodile." (Baoule People, Cote D'Ivoire). That's one a lot of
American government officials really need to hear.
*"You must judge a man by the work of his hands." (Northern Africa).
Not by wealth, celebrity status, number of social media followers etc.
The one that fits best with my life now is, "Do not follow the
path. Go to where there is no path to begin the trail." (Ashanti
people, Ghana).
In a society that would consign women who took significant time
out of career world to raise children to retail or fast food, I am
trying to blaze my own graduate school path to show that we have the
right to follow our dreams. There's no statue of limitations on a
mind being a terrible thing to waste.
The illustrations are a real treat. Each is done by a different
artist, many of whom are citizens of African countries.
Even if you have no children, From The Heart of Africa is a
great investment. It's a volume one can return to again and again for
inspiration. Also part of the author's royalties go to help authors
in Kenya.
On a purrrsonal note, this is an all Joey weekend. Other than
sleeping at night, he is getting to set my schedule. When he wants to
cuddle or play or look out the window I'm there. Everything else gets
pushed to when he's sleeping. It's sorta like bringing a new baby
home from the hospital. Joey seems to be enjoying the love. And I am
feeling contentment. These good days are precious for both of us and
for my children who want him to be surrounded by love now more than
ever.
A great big shout out goes out to the best little cat in the world.
jules hathaway


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