Thomas J. West Music

Traditions Worth Keeping

Over the years, I've had a "love/hate" relationship with rituals and traditions. I love the comfort and sense of belonging they create, but I hate the close-mindedness and rigidity they often produce. Memorial Day is one of the U.S. traditions that is worth paying attention to, for a number of reasons.

1. Memorial Day is a event centered around respect. That respect is centered on something that is larger than all of us as individuals that we have a common investment in - this grand experiment we call America.
2. Memorial Day calls to mind the history of our nation in terms of its military. This country was founded on its military, preserved by its military, defined by its military, and its culutre is interwoven with its military.
3. Memorial Day is an opportunity to look at our past and create a better future. In my mind, I see a day when the military uses its discipline and strength to improve lives instead of take them away. I see a military that performs its duties without gobbling up insanse amounts of energy and resources from the rest of the world. The attitude about Memorial Day for most seems to center on "God Bless America" and "Look at us, we're the best." I challenge everyone to spin that attitude around and use it to serve the world, just as the fallen served their country.

Some Memorial Day related links:

USFlag.org - including the U.S. Flag Code - if you fly the colors today, do it right.

The history of Marching Band and Drum and Bugle Corps

The Military Color Guard (every band on parade should have one)

Taps (Extinguish Lights)

To all my friends in the U.S., Happy Memorial Day. I hope you get a chance to share it with people you care about. For my friends overseas, I wish you a day of reflection and look forward to continuing the process of building a global learning network together.

In reverence,

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