Traditional: All in the time slice

 

     I have had my hair short. I have had my hair long. Once upon a time, I had more hair. But, I am a traditionalist. My great-great-uncle had his hair long in a ponytail and a beard that went below his waist (he would have given ZZ Top a run for the money). So, as a traditionalist, I am presently having my hair (what is left of it) long. My beard. Well, it just isn't amenable to growing that long -- I guess I missed out in the gene pool.

     At times, people use the word "traditional". What they mean (whether they acknowledge it or not) is "traditional since some date in their past". That date might be over a thousand years ago. It might be as of when they had their first Thanksgiving meal at their home as a new family thirty years ago.

     There are many who might say that having short hair is the traditional, expected, fashion in men's hair. Yet, this has only been the usual thing since about the time of Woodrow Wilson (early 1900s). Before that, hair fashion for men was in flux. Some had long hair like my great-great-uncle, more had shoulder length hair. If you look at a photo of the Lincoln - Douglas debates (1858), you will see Lincoln with short hair and Douglas with shoulder length hair. In the crowds, you will see fully shaved men as well as full beards and mutton chops and handle-bar mustaches.

     Go back another century and you have the "Founding Fathers" with ponytails in their youth and very short hair as older adults (to allow easier donning of their powdered wigs for formal occasions). Once you get into the 1800s and before, however, you primarily have documentation of the wealthier, more newsworthy, people and their living habits. What the majority of working folk wore and did was located primarily in family albums, journals, and diaries.

     Of course, tradition doesn't just apply to fashion. Our family has a special Christmas morning meal. Why? Because my wife had such. Why did she have such? because her grandmother had such. When did it start? Who knows? Or small variations. We had a tradition of opening ONE present on Christmas Eve? Why? When? Does your family have traditions whose origins are unknown?

     Occasionally a family will state explicitly "we're starting a new tradition"! But most traditions just occur out of habits -- and some traditions will be solidified into societal expectations. One of my uncles supported his mother, father, and (as I remember) four siblings through the Great Depression by being a barber. Sometimes he was paid in chickens, eggs, or a slab of bacon but all was useful to the family. During that period of US history, males would do their very hardest to have a short haircut, a shaven face, and a hat. They would use any money they had for that before paying for a meal. Tradition was something to hold onto tightly during the Great Depression and traditions often become tightly held societal requirements during times of great stress, wars, or economic depression.

     Note that I speak only about the men. Women have, and had, their own traditions but I haven't delved into those enough to talk about them well. Sometimes, especially within family traditions, the traditions will be in common. However, traditions are always "since ..." whether it is recognized or not.

The Value of Repetition

 

     I have taken a number of Pimsleur® language training courses. The Pimsleur method is a system of delayed reinforcement of vocabulary (and some grammar) that has been used within the US Foreign Service departments for rapid language acquisition. The idea is that a word is introduced and the learner must repeat it -- perhaps within a phrase. Then, a short time later the word is presented again. And then after quite a bit longer (maybe 10 or 15 minutes) it is presented again. Finally, the word is made part of subsequent lessons for a while -- while performing the same process with new words such that each word is at a different portion of the language acquisition series.

     This works -- or the theory of it works -- because humans have both short-term and long-term memories and the ways that information is stored has different processes. These are chemical and neurological. These procedures aid the transfer from short-term to long-term memory.

     But repetition is also part of the cycle of humankind's works. Some are associated with mental processes and some with physical. Newsdesks at media centers have a circular file where a certain topic may be flagged for a new article (perhaps very similar to the last -- or perhaps incorporating new information) about a topic to be created and presented every so often. Perhaps once every five years. Perhaps annually -- especially if it pertains to an annual event (Christmas, 4th of July, Bastille Day, Thanksgiving, Boxing Day, spring planting, ...) Some might remember the previous article, or articles, on the subject but many more will not. Thus, it is useful.

     There is, of course, unnecessary repetition. I find that I tell people certain stories, or talk about certain topics, more often than they would prefer to hear. It isn't that I am trying to pester them -- I just don't know to whom I have already relayed the stories. If you are at the brunt of such, try to be patient as it is likely to happen with you as you age and there are more and more people within your life.

     There is also repetition of physical items. A city manager will have a map, or maps (nowadays probably digital), of the road systems or water systems or sewage systems that provide the lifelines of the community. Certain roads, and routes, will be flagged to be repaved every so often. Presumably, more heavily used roads are repaved more often. Less heavily used roads are repaved less often. Some roads, and routes, are not on any systematic cycle of repaving. They are paved only after a certain amount of active complaints or if people, who have the ear of someone important in the local government, complain. It is unfortunate, but true, that roads through areas of less income often fall into this latter category.

     The same can be done for water pipes or sewage lines -- but, because wear and damage is usually not obvious to detect, they typically happen only after some incident makes it necessary. That is why they tear up a road recently repaved in order to do water pipe renewal or repair. They aren't quite as unknowing as they appear -- they just value cost postponement over avoidance of undoing recent efforts.

     Another area of repetition is that of fashion. Fashion is a supplemental design factor to most items -- clothing, appliances, home decoration, etc. As such, the choices do not usually affect the functionality of the items -- although it is often true that fashion will value form, or appearance, over practicality. That avocado green appliance that you had in the 1960s may have a turn again at some point in the future. Will the leisure suits of the 1970s make another appearance? What about those 1940s shoulder pads in women's jackets and blouses? Who knows? But fashion designers certainly are willing to reuse something that was once popular.

     There is also something which might be considered repetition but might better be considered a premature attempt at introduction. Apple's Newton® of 1993 might not have been of great significance but the iPad® of 2010 certainly has been.

     Even these blogs have topics that occur more than once. I have been writing them for 16 years. Even if I do a search through my blogs,  the keywords may not be the same for the same general area. But, like the case with the news media, some topics may also be worthwhile to present every once in a while as they are topics which persist and for which new audiences may benefit. (Or perhaps I am just rationalizing my desire to talk about them.)

     Repetition can serve various purposes. Some are annoying. Some commercial. And some very practical.