Thought Provoking Thursday

...either a few days early or a few days late (I guess that would depend on your perspective).

Traditions.

Why do we insist upon doing stupid/thoughtless/tacky things under the guise of tradition? I love traditions. Nothing feels quite as warm and fuzzy as opening carefully wrapped pieces of tissue paper to reveal the memory inducing and tradition filled Christmas ornaments each year. I enjoy visiting the same restaurant on our anniversary each year. What I detest is the thoughtless doing of an act simply because 'that is what you must do'. The value of a tradition is supposed to be measured by the meaning and purpose of the act.

For example. I hate Playdoh. Seriously, I hate it. It's messy, it gets dried out. The dog eats it (then barfs it up). The accessory toys that you purchase to play with the Playdoh are really only useful as intended once because the stuff gets all crusted and plugged in the holes. It gets ground into the carpet and you slice your foot open on it as you walk across the floor because it has dried in to a sliver reminiscent of a machete blade. And yet I but it for my kid because 'every kid has to have Playdoh'.

Why do women who have been married before/are living with their boyfriends/have kids insist upon following through with the tradition of wearing a white wedding dress? The white is supposed to represent virginity and purity. It is intended to have a meaning and purpose beyond making your fake tan look better or making your mother happy or indulging your childish temper tantrum nature of wanting the 'perfect wedding' (more on those later).

Why do we make fruitcake at Christmas? That stuff if terrible. Does anybody even eat it? Seriously gross and a waste of perfectly good fruit and liquor.

In this time of downsizing and reevaluation I suggest that we take a look at our traditions as well. My guess would be that there are many things we do in our lives simply because 'that is what's done'. I challenge us to take our brains off of autopilot and start making our traditions value based actions not the rote activities of lazy thinkers.