Have you ever seen Fiddler on the Roof? If you haven’t seen the movie or stage version of this musical classic, add it to your must-see list.
Fiddler takes place in 1905 Tzarist Russia. The main character, Tevye, is a poor Jewish milkman, desperately trying to instill family and religious traditions in his five daughters, in spite of how rapidly the world around them is changing.
This came to mind yesterday as I was looking forward to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. Unfortunately, it was not televised on commercial TV. It was restricted to the subscription-only MLB channel. On the radio, the broadcast was limited to the MLB satellite radio channel. A tradition has been lost.
We often hear that the younger generation doesn’t appreciate tradition. They don’t respect those who came before. They haven’t learned from the struggles of the people who paved the way.
Have we provided the opportunity to develop that appreciation?
This isn’t just about the baseball Hall of Fame. This is about taking the time to share the traditions we value. If we think it is important for children and young adults to know something, than it must be important enough for us to take the time to teach it. It is not the public school’s responsibility, it is not the church’s responsibility, it is not the neighborhood Boys and Girls Club’s responsibility. It is our responsibility, yours and mine, as adults with values and traditions and knowledge to share.
Sharing traditions and values can be as simple as eating dinner together as a family. It can be expecting everyone to share a moment of gratitude before Thanksgiving dinner. Values can be learned while folding laundry or doing homework together, while sharing a walk or going for a drive.
Wonderful teaching moments can occur while watching classic movies as a family (another great tradition). Significant life lessons can be learned from To Kill A Mockingbird, PT-109, West Side Story, The Sound of Music and Forrest Gump. Reading classic novels (I prefer real, hard cover books with pages to turn, but e-books will work) can provide life lessons that can break your heart, demonstrate integrity, or provide a framework for compassion. Have your children read Beauty and the Beast, Gulliver’s Travels or The Hardy Boys? Have your teens read Death Be Not Proud or Catcher in the Rye or The Color Purple?
History of all kinds can teach lessons. Have you shared the struggles of grandparents or great-grandparents to establish a new life in this country, so today’s generation realizes not everything comes easy? Do you still prepare a traditional family meal or bake a special holiday cookie? Have you shared the story of what memories that certain recipe brings back, or why that particular tradition is important? In our house, there are German traditions, Polish and Irish traditions, patriotic American traditions, Catholic and Lutheran traditions. Our children may not follow all of these practices today, but they have experienced them and understand them. Perhaps, someday, they might continue these traditions with their own children, even while establishing new traditions to carry on.
In his Hall of Fame induction speech today, Andre’ Dawson said that there is nothing wrong with today’s game of baseball; it’s some of the people in the game that are the problem. Dawson said they don’t respect the tradition of the game. The same could be said for other major league sports and recent attacks on younger players for doing what’s viewed as best for them instead of what’s best for the game. We could probably extend that to corporate America, politics and nearly any walk of life.
It’s not a lack of respect for the past; it’s a lack of knowledge. You can’t appreciate what you don’t know.
While Major League Baseball tries to figure out how to instill the love of classic baseball in a younger audience, perhaps one area they should look at is the message they are sending by not making the Hall of Fame induction ceremony widely available. How can kids and young adults appreciate the history of the game when the game’s managing body doesn’t take advantage of the opportunity to share it?
Perhaps, along the same lines, we all can look at ourselves and assess what message we are sending to the next generation.
If we don’t take the time to share traditions, how would the younger generation know about them? If we don’t demonstrate their importance, why should the younger generation think they have any value? If we don’t take time to talk about history, how can we expect our children to know the lessons learned by those who came before?
Valuing tradition does not mean being stuck in the past. It also does not mean that every ritual of the past is worth keeping.
Valuing tradition means understanding how we got to the present. Having this knowledge can then help us make a better future. Ignoring the past means losing the lessons that have been learned over time. And, if we lose those lessons, aren’t we bound to make the same mistakes?
What is your favorite tradition? Why is it important to you? Have you taken the time to share it?
