Elders

Easy to see, just harder to connect

Two questions to start. “Have we forgotten the importance of listening to our elders? Or seeking guidance from those who have walked the path before?”

I asked a friend yesterday. The summary was yes and no—which sounds vague, but is exactly how I see it. Elders were once more participatory, more inclined to stop and make connections with the younger generation. Today that instinct seems diluted. So yes, there is less reliance on elders—but no, they haven’t been forgotten.

Way back then, I turned mainly to those older than me for knowledge and support. Cricket was a self-driven game in the eighties and nineties. Coaches were vehicles that took you to and from games—not people whose job it was to help you play better. Older peers served as sources of instruction and motivation, demonstrating through action how to handle different situations.

Rarely would I look to my contemporaries. In a way, I was in a race with them. I was fortunate that Lancashire had so many outstanding players. Easy to see, just harder to connect with. I was fortunate to link with those I did.

Facing spin on a wearing pitch in the third or fourth innings, the question was simple: what would Neil Fairbrother do? Against pace — Graeme Fowler. Catching at slip — David Hughes. Leadership — Clive Lloyd. Not that I had the nerve to ask Mr Lloyd anything.

These cricketers were beacons. Now, I regard that accumulated wisdom with no small amount of reverence. My answer is invariably there. And now, where possible, it’s for me to pass that wisdom on.

Nick

Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash