<>It's been forever and a day (snarky theatre reference), since I’ve last posted, but I keep forgetting what I’m going to write. School and life have been keeping me busy, but who knows it might let up soon, maybe.

In the meanwhile here’s a short little essay that a good busy of mine asked to write (hey Micah!). He does these really good papers for some class and every once and a while he wants to use my weird opinions on stuff. But he needs a way to quote me so I type up these nifty things. This one’s on tradition, and the story of the Lottery. Good story, you should read it some time; I think you can find it online.<>

Traditions should have a meaning behind the: not just be tasks that are performed because it’s always been done. Traditions are maintained because they remind us of something, or they have a intelligent purpose behind them. Going through the motions of something because “it’s traditional,” is just another example of blindly following in the footsteps of ”those that have gone before.” We should be constantly examining ourselves and we do and asking why. Why am I doing this, what is the purpose?
The people who take part in the Lottery do so because their parents did and their parents before them. The objects used to determine the “winner” are described as old and battered, and because rocks are used to complete the task one could infer that when the tradition was started that was all they had. The story mentions other towns that are giving up the Lottery, but this is seen as abnormal behavior. The people in the town are so captured up in the tradition of it they would never consider doing such a thing. Some of the people seem reluctant, while the kids of the town get ready by filling their pockets with stones, many of the adults seem to understand what is about to happen. But even under these circumstances, they don’t see it as wrong, because it’s tradition.


Until I think of this again.
(the formatting on this thing is really weird)

Why are there so many
Songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side
Rainbows are visions
But only illusions
And rainbows have nothing to hide
So we've been told and some choose to
Believe it <>I know they're wrong wait and see
Someday we'll find it
The Rainbow Connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me  ¶ 11/15/2004 03:09:00 PM