The State Fair of Texas has come and gone, and I got my visit in right before it was too late, taking my daughter and her best friend, excuse me, BFF with us this past Saturday. We walked the car show; I found one I want of course! We saw Big Tex, it was the BFF’s 1st time at the fair, and she had no idea what she was in for! We, or more accurately THEY, rode a few rides, and we all got something to eat, however I didn’t get my corny dog! The girls were sitting just out of sight eating their gastronomical delights, and I was in line, and it Just. Wasn’t. Moving. I couldn’t see the girls, and that never sits well with me in such a crowded environment. So I abandoned the quest for the Corny Dog and ate some other less memorable fried something or other.
That got me thinking; the Corny Dog is a fall staple to so many of us, to the point that it’s just not a visit to the fair without one. A tradition, if you will.
We love tradition, don’t we? The holiday trip to Grandma & Grandpa’s house, the big meal with all the relations nearby, and so on.
What is it about the act of doing the same thing year in and year out that we love? Is it the familiarity? The feeling that while the world may be hurtling around us everyday, there is still that little piece of mind that comes from routine?
In my family, we have had many traditions, but as of late, many of them have changed due to a few things. My mother passed away 5 years ago this September, and Dad is remarried and living in another city than he did with Mom. I got divorced this year, and my custody arrangement dictates who has my daughter on which holiday, in which year. (If you can avoid divorce, and custody agreements, I highly recommend it.)
So that brings me to this: traditions aren’t so much about the minutia of making sure you get the same gravy/cranberry sauce/candy canes as last year, but instead, it is about the people you are with.
No, this is not where I get all sappy and the music starts to swell in the background. That just ain’t happening!
No, what I mean is that it’s the people in your life, the family you’re born with, and the family that you create that make traditions important. It is reconnecting with old friends and oft unseen relatives that do us good. So cherish the people in your life, and the traditions you’ve made, or are about to make!
But also, please do make sure you get the right cranberry sauce. Nobody wants to feel Grandma’s wrath if you alter one of her recipe’s!
Ben Cox is the morning show host of “Ben Cox in the Morning” on KQBZ, 96.9 FM in Brownwood Texas. He is the new in-stadium voice of the Howard Payne Yellow Jackets football team, & Ben is also an event DJ for weddings, parties and the like.
The thoughts and comments reflected in this column are those of the writer alone, and do not necessarily reflect those of Wendlee Broadcasting, or its affiliates.