The evolution of tradition

Listening to Does Hair Make the Person? by Bianca Butler brought out many of my own views, that your own personal choices are the most important aspects of your life. Your family traditions certainly play a role, as Bianca states that she was raised to believe that straight hair was something of beauty and to be desired. But here she is, about to enter college in a new location, and wanting to create her own image. She states that she feels she has been brain washed to believe that her hair style is unacceptable and shows unwanted characteristics in a person. College, as many of us know, is the start to a new and independent life. The beginning to the future. Biance should be able to start this journey exactly the way she wishes not letting her traditions depict her path, but choosing it for herself.

Richard Pillsbury's Thoroughly Modern Dining did show the reasons tradition is important. He speaks of holidays such as thanksgiving being spent out at restaurants instead of at home with the entire family, and how that will never be as special or filled with love as a home cooked meal around the table. This does seem to hold some truth, as at home you typically spend the whole day together, preparing food and chatting about past and present stories filling each others lives. At restaurants it is usually to loud to effectively do this, and you are rushed out to make room for the next guests. The ways this tradition has evolved to include so many restaurants does seem to be a shame. So there is truly two sides to consider when thinking about personal choice, or tradition. Each scenario has its own paths and outcomes to consider.

These two stories make it apparent that there are two sides to consider when debating the impact of traditions in today’s modern lives. Some traditions have held strong, others have been molded around today’s life styles, and others have completely faded. With each instance, however, there is a story behind its nature, which explains why it was best for each tradition to take the path it did in the lives of each individual.