Thursday, December 18, 2003
EGA is fond of observing that the stupidest reason to do something is because you have always done it, and there is some truth to that, but it is also true that there is comfort to be had in tradition, and that comfort -- rather than mere force of habit, is a valid reason to continue a practice. Sometimes it seems to me that tradition is a tropism, and sometimes I'm surprised by what has become tradition in our family. When I was a new lawyer, the firm I was working for used to order its holiday party food from Katz's Deli, which is how I found out about the place. When the snow flies now, I have a powerful craving for pastrami, and a visit to Katz's has become something of a private little holiday tradition for me. I was there yesterday, and it was wonderful, just as it always is. Another tradition is one I share with my law partner-- every year we buy some Christmas CDs, to play in the office, and to take home. It is a little outing we make, and we have built up a fairly large collection over the years. The run-up to Christmas always feels stressful, and this is a way of stepping back a little and putting it in perspective. Somewhere along the line I acquired an Alligator CD full of Cajun Christmas music-- or, at least, Christmas songs in zydeco style. It's a goofy thing, but I really like it-- it's a nice change of pace, and I was gladdened to discover that the sound of this side is one that my daughters associate with Christmas-- it is part of the comfortable tradition that they enjoy, even though I hadn't realized until one of them mentioned it that it had become a tradition at all.
// posted by Bill @ 10:47 AM 
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