On Tradition

Posted by Jack Aubrey

Our nation's Independence Day got me thinking, like most holidays do, of Tradition.

Why do I care?

To sum up all of my thoughts and conversations and more in brief, I must be to the point:

Traditions are fun. That is ALL they should be. Celebrating a birthday, anniversary or what have you is good. But any religious tradition or family practice that you end up going to out of guilt then feeling like there is no alcohol hard enough to make Uncle Rick tolerable are not in the true spirit of Tradition. They falsely represent a good thing by putting a buzz word like God or Family on it. No. Say 'NO' to this. Traditions should remind us of accomplishments or struggle or whatever. If it matters to YOU. Not to your people who you hardly identify with any other time.

To be fair I am not too proud to be in the same grouping as people like Glenn Beck, Carrot Top, and my old pal Tim as Americans; but I do celebrate the 4th of July. Why? Because

1) it represents something of ideals in practice and
2) it is fun, not boring, guilty or imposing some moral principle I only adhere to during that holiday.

SO

Celebrate everything and anything for sake of those things. That time you won that game in High School with your old buddies?Sure. Your first date with your wife of 25 years. Yes (and you just might get lucky... *wink*) But Jesus being tacked to a piece of wood for your metaphoric sins? Do you believe it every other day of the year? Do you really want to spend a boatload of money on people you don't like and see Uncle Rick be a jerk? No. Not if you don't want to.

Take it or leave it. Tradition.