Mission for Tradition
Humans are very habitual creatures. A daily schedule, something that occurs everyday, or a common factor with each passing moment; we favor these situations time and time again. We all have something like this. For example, as a student, I wake up at 6:15 AM to prepare myself for school, drive myself in the same car, to the same school, to the same first hour, sit at the same table for lunch, with the same people, and the list goes on and on. These sorts of things are basic habits: things that we are inclined to do from pattern. Tradition on the other hand, is much more personal. Tradition is something that is passed down from generation to generation, occurs much less frequently perhaps, and can differ vastly from culture and race. For example, every Thanksgiving, we inquire the kitchen to discover succulent turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, and most importantly, the ones we love most such as family or other friends. These traditions, typically rather than habits, produce a sense of pride, knowing that these traditions are mostly unique.
In Song of Solomon, we see music occur even at the very beginning of the book, when Pilate sings, "O Sugarman done fly away, Sugarman done gone, Sugarman cut across the sky, Sugarman gone home..." (Morrison 6). In African American culture, music is valued highly, as seen by cultural instruments such as the djembe, a rope-tuned drum. In addition, we see songs used during slavery to aid these African Americans in their quest for freedom. Follow The Drinking Gourd was an iconic tune that runaway slaves would sing to follow the constellation to guide them north using the Underground Railroad. These traditions often portray the history of cultures that convey meaning or provide background info from ancestors that would have been lost in time.
Traditions do not have to intricate or hard to execute! For example, Cassidy Dawson, a fellow junior at Troy High goes to Ohio every thanksgiving to see her family. A simple act of traveling to a different area to meet with friends and family every year can keep a beautiful relationship between the people treasure most; even if it is for just one day out of the 365 days in a year. I, being of a South Korean descent, have visited the country just twice since leaving my grandparents in 2005. While those two times have been some of the best recollections of my past ever, I wish I could visit more often to always remember my roots and where I came from; so I do not end up like John Unger and his adventures in the Diamond as Big as the Ritz, where he strays far from his roots of Hades and nearly dies as a result.
Keeping traditions and good habits are essential. Traditions keep a sense of pride and family history alive. Maintaining good habits allow you to live life to its fullest potential, which is the goal for many humans for generations and generations.
In Song of Solomon, we see music occur even at the very beginning of the book, when Pilate sings, "O Sugarman done fly away, Sugarman done gone, Sugarman cut across the sky, Sugarman gone home..." (Morrison 6). In African American culture, music is valued highly, as seen by cultural instruments such as the djembe, a rope-tuned drum. In addition, we see songs used during slavery to aid these African Americans in their quest for freedom. Follow The Drinking Gourd was an iconic tune that runaway slaves would sing to follow the constellation to guide them north using the Underground Railroad. These traditions often portray the history of cultures that convey meaning or provide background info from ancestors that would have been lost in time.
Traditions do not have to intricate or hard to execute! For example, Cassidy Dawson, a fellow junior at Troy High goes to Ohio every thanksgiving to see her family. A simple act of traveling to a different area to meet with friends and family every year can keep a beautiful relationship between the people treasure most; even if it is for just one day out of the 365 days in a year. I, being of a South Korean descent, have visited the country just twice since leaving my grandparents in 2005. While those two times have been some of the best recollections of my past ever, I wish I could visit more often to always remember my roots and where I came from; so I do not end up like John Unger and his adventures in the Diamond as Big as the Ritz, where he strays far from his roots of Hades and nearly dies as a result.
Keeping traditions and good habits are essential. Traditions keep a sense of pride and family history alive. Maintaining good habits allow you to live life to its fullest potential, which is the goal for many humans for generations and generations.
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