Good Value
The Loose Blogging Consortium challenge this week comes from Ramana.
Modern vs. Western Values
Do you think he sits up all night to think of these difficult topics?
I thought I was modern and I live in the West.
Will that do? No?
You want to know my value?
Ok! Now let me think……..
A bride price was a sum of money paid as a gesture of sincerity. This is similar to the modern engagement ring except that the bride price usually went to the bride’s father and was usually just a token.
In my case things were a little different. Jack presented me with a beautiful engagement ring of twelve deep-set diamonds on a platinum band. Unbeknownst to me, my father paid Jack to take me off his hands!!
You don’t believe me? Well he did!
Daddy gave Jack a silver sixpence.
I no longer have Daddy
I no longer have Jack
I no longer have the engagement ring (burglers decided their need was greater than mine).
But, I still have the silver sixpence!
Active LBC Members are:
Some may be distracted by work, play, love and or family, so their post may be late in appearing.
Mayo said,
April 8, 2011 at 2:43 pm
At least you were worth something!
In Africa where my wife and I spent almost 5 years, the grooms father would have to pay for the bride in cattle.
I would tease a associate female Swazi teacher, that she was worth at least 50 cattle. She would say “not acceptable”– at least 51 and one goat.
rummuser said,
April 8, 2011 at 3:01 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz1HW1PpXEE
Padmini Natarajan said,
April 8, 2011 at 4:23 pm
The silver sixpence will soon become an antique—worth more in terms of sentiment, no?
Grannymar said,
April 8, 2011 at 4:44 pm
Mayo - 5 cattle and a goat might be worth more than a silver sixpence!
Ramana - awwwww!
Padmini - I was never interested in material wealth. Sentiment always meant more to me.
Marianna said,
April 8, 2011 at 5:45 pm
You forgot to mention that you have a lifetime worth of memories (& material for blogs)!
Grannymar said,
April 8, 2011 at 5:54 pm
Marianna - very true. As I said to myself when I returned to a burgled house and stood amongst the scattered contents of drawers and cupboards ” I have my memories and nobody, but nobody, can take them away”!
nick said,
April 8, 2011 at 7:30 pm
In practice there’s always a mixture of traditional and modern values. Smartphones exist alongside romantic white weddings, and the internet exists alongside holy communion. We like to be at the cutting edge but we still have an emotional hankering for old customs.
gaelikaa said,
April 8, 2011 at 11:03 pm
I’m not surprised you were confused about the topic. You should have seen me tearing my hair out.
That silver sixpence is a treasure.
Delirious said,
April 9, 2011 at 6:11 am
Thinking about your sixpence made me think of this poem about how certain things have more value depending on the beholder.
http://gbgm-umc.org/disc/poems/mastershand.stm
Grannymar said,
April 9, 2011 at 10:25 am
Nick - I thought I had answered your comment last night. I think we all hang on to some area or tradition for our past.
Gaelikaa - I hope you didn’t lose much!
Delirious - How right you are and I love the poem.
Ashok said,
April 9, 2011 at 11:27 am
That was an amazing story. To me you are worth a million dollars because you have that six pence coin with you
PS: The topic brought me tough times too. We should form a union to keep Ramana sir in check, what say?
kidding
Grannymar said,
April 9, 2011 at 11:41 am
Ashok - You have a friend for life!
Now you live on the same piece of land… would a lasso do the trick?
speccy said,
April 9, 2011 at 12:39 pm
Now, there’s a tale told with a lot of love
Grannymar said,
April 9, 2011 at 12:44 pm
speccy - and very few words!
Ashok said,
April 9, 2011 at 6:40 pm
@Grannymar: Do lassos work against cowboys?
Grannymar said,
April 9, 2011 at 7:42 pm
Ashok - With your talent and am sure you could wheel in a cowboy, no bother!