Little Egypt Heritage Articles Stories of Southern Illinois (c) Bill Oliver 20 June 2004 Vol 3 Issue: #23 ISBN: pending Osiyo, Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen of Little Egypt, When I was growing up in the South, there was an oft used term of endearment -- "Grandmother" So-'n-So. These were the elders of families and/or the community and it was the "respectful" term to use. In Southern Illinois, where my Father spent his beginning years, it was shortened a bit to the more familiar term, "Grandma", but it carried the same meaning. I remember Grandma Oliver using the term to refer to my Great Great Grandmother. It was always "Grandma Whittenberg" this and "Grandma Whittenberg" that. Grandma Whittenberg apparently was the matriarch who sat outside on the cabin porch rocking in a chair, shelling peas and watching the young children. She also told the "old" stories some of which have been passed down through Grandma Oliver to us "young'uns". Grandma Oliver always said she wanted to live longer than Grandma Whittenberg. Well, she managed to do just that ... by about twenty years. It is most difficult to hear the tone of voice in the written word. However, I cannot but help hear that reverent tone whenever I read the term -- "Grandmother" So-'n-So. So it is when other words pass before my eyes in reading. "Elder" is such a word, used both as a title in many churches and as a position within a culture. It denotes wisdom [earned or otherwise]. There is something else which happens with such words as Elder or Grandmother. It is the way they are put together which hints at cultural recognition. That which makes one feel as if being addressed by a brethren of the spirit, if not blood. It is what makes me feel a part of a group because they say that they are [or act that if they thought that they are] something, then they are that something. It is much like the saying, "If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, then it is a duck." While traveling in South Dakota last week, we stopped and ate at a diner named Doo-wah- Ditty's. We loved reading their menu. There were some claims about them and their service which we enjoyed very much. They said about their menu: "You'll notice that unlike other restaurants, we have no pictures of food. That's because we believe our customers can read." They continued about their staff: "We have 33 waitresses on staff, 27 know what they're doing, 5 are new, and one is in a real bad mood. Good Luck!" About the famous they tauted: "No President of the United States admits to visiting this site." For supper, our granddaughter insisted, as only a five year old can, on oat-meal with a scoop of ice cream. The young waitress giggled and said to us, "I was just like that." Now for those who think it strange to put a scoop of ice cream in your bowl of oatmeal; the ice cream serves as adding in cream, in-addition, it serves as the sweetener, and it helps to cool it. It wasn't this grandparent who taught her that. <roar> A fossil is any evidence of ancient life. It might be the actual part of something that lived a long time ago. Our grandson, at eight years, envisions himself as a paleontologist. Now, we have visited the Field Museum in Chicago, where we saw a dinosaur named "Sue" and other ancient bones. Thus, we stopped in Hill City, South Dakota because they tauted a set of bones named "Stan". Folks, if you are interested in such things, let me tell you that the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, Inc. in Hill City beats the Field Museum hands down. There were more lessons to be learned in that one room than one can imagine. And, it doesn't cost you a "red cent", if you can resist walking out without purchasing something from their gift shop. {I couldn't.] They have a web presence at: www.everythingprehistoric.com/ Oh, "Stan" is larger than "Sue"; it is the largest and most complete male t-rex in the world! In near-by Rapid City, there is The Journey Museum. It illustrates and contains 2.5 billion years of history and culture of the Black Hills. They say it is a "journey" and I will say it is certainly a "trip". After giving due attention to the geological exhibits, I spent an hour and a half with one of the volunteers, Mr Charles Starbuck, viewing and discussing likes and differences of the Eastern and Western native cultures. What a fascinating and cultured gentleman! His in depth knowledge was superb. Among many things, we discussed the trade routes from the very ancient of time(s), which developed this land through its many transitions. I was shown the stages of development of the local peoples and the land they call sacred. As we talked, compared and shared our knowledge it was like adding new stanzas to the song which the land sings to those who listen. As in our personal lives, all the stanzas are not the happiest and there are "Trails of Tears" both east and west of the Mississippi. This trip with grandchildren, though it repeats a similar trip a decade ago with another set of grands, has brought together the "rock hound" [geologist] granddaughter, the "bone hunter" [paleontologist] grandson, and the "cultural historian" [archaeologist] grandparent. Something for everyone .... well, almost .... but then the parents do support "all of the above". <roar> [To be Continuted] e-la-di-e-das-di ha-wi nv-wa-do-hi-ya nv-wa-to-hi-ya-da. (May you walk in peace and harmony) Wado, Bill -=- PostScript: = = = = http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/SOIL http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/ILMASSAC http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ne/state/BillsArticles/LittleEgypt/intro.html