The story is told of the famous anthropologist Margaret Mead, who one day was asked, “What was the first sign of civilization you look for in any given culture?” Undoubtedly, the questioner may have been expecting Dr. Mead to unlock the mysteries of ancient history and reveal the intuitive secrets of a notable scientist simply by pointing to a particular tool or implement.

“The first sign of civilization in a given culture?” Thoughtfully, she replied: “A healed femur - a mended broken leg.” Dr. Mead went on to explain that healed femurs are not found in cultures where the survival of the fittest reign, or where the weakest necessarily fall by the wayside. A healed femur shows that someone cared. Someone had to do the injured person’s hunting or gathering, someone had to feed and tend them until the broken leg healed, someone had to protect that person while they were vulnerable. “The evidence of compassion”, Mead said, “is the earliest sign of civilization.”

“The next time you see geese flying along in “V” formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way:

As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in “V” formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.

People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front.

If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those people who are headed the same way we are.

When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point.
It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs, whether with people or with geese flying south.
Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

What messages do we give when we honk from behind?

Finally … and this is important … when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshot, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group.

If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.”

–Author Unknown

History has revealed that the truly enlightened person is one who can look beyond their own personal needs and embrace the concept that we are our brother’s keeper and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., suggests that , “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘What are you doing for others?’”

The values of generosity and compassion are enduring and everlasting. In the ancient Talmud we read: “I did not find the world desolate when I entered it. My fathers planted for me before I arrived, so I plant for those who come after me.”

Future generations will judge and remember us by how well we have taught and practiced the counsel of John Wesley:

        Do all the good you can
        By all the means you can
        In all the ways you can
        To all the people you can
        As long as ever you can.

It is my hope that future anthropologists discovering our age and generation will find plenty of healed femurs and evidence that as a whole we had the sense of a goose.