The First Native American tradition of elders imparting wisdom to younger generations has no counterpart in contemporary American culture. Our culture has no systematic way of transmitting the knowledge of our seniors to our young people. If anything, a societal disconnect or gulf exists between our older and our younger people. As a grandfather and as an elder at age 60, I use this book to pass on to my three grandchildren (as well as to other readers) 50 bits of wisdom I have learned from six decades of living in this society. The 50 bits are derived from experiential learning. They come from the joys and the vicissitudes I have had and from the successes and the mistakes I have made. The 50 bits of wisdom are by no means intended to be exhaustive of all the wisdom available to us. Numerous sources contain additional and valuable wisdom, and I encourage my grandchildren (and my readers) to pursue these other helpful resources. The 50 bits are those which I have been able to integrate into my life, and so I know them personally. They are a part of my value system and my daily behavior. My goal for this book is to help make my three grandsons
