The end of the year brings with it cooler temperatures, a return to the classroom, and a sense that the year is quickly coming to a close. As I have gotten older, time compresses itself most around October because of the holidays and other celebrations that litter the autumnal and winter months are right around the corner, and the large community that I have been fortunate enough to have surround me requires nurturing if it’s going to sustain itself. One of the best ways to do that is through traditions.
Most people have some traditions that help signal to them that now is a time for celebration; it’s the decorations you put up to celebrate Halloween, the Thanksgiving dinner table family gathers around, or the gift giving you find during the winter holiday season that let your body know that it’s time to enter a new phase of the year. Yet, in my studies of management and research on business culture, I wonder if the anticipation of those traditions has grown significantly more stressful for people than the ability to enjoy them because it doesn’t feel celebratory so much as obligatory.
Traditions help pass down knowledge and connection rituals down through generations, but they can also be a way to enforce rigidity that no longer serves the people executing them. There have been many headlines that talk about younger generations often shun traditional family rituals they grew up with — to the confusion of the older generations — because it causes more harm than good in their lives, giving rise to the idea of “Friendsgiving” and multiple holiday parties with various friend groups prior to even reaching the family of origin. Rethinking how one wishes to celebrate a period in time is a natural course of getting older, much as stories evolved constantly to fit the needs of the community when they were still being transmitted orally. However, it’s worth noting that these rituals can become overwhelming themselves when they become more of a task to check off than something you feel actually helps you celebrate.
In writing my novel, I have often thought about how stories we try to honor out of obligation rather than desire can undermine a sense of wellbeing, and I think that applies just as much to how we pick our traditions as it does to our jobs or relationships. I am fortunate that I have enjoyed all the ways I have celebrated over the years, and I have also found that my traditions have shifted over the years to incorporate more ways of loving and engaging with the community I have found. This can feel odd at times — and perhaps the slightest bit stressful for the lack of fixed structures I can come back to reliably — but it’s also allowed me to understand how everyone gets to choose what’s meaningful for them.
My schedule will undoubtedly be crammed in the waning months of the year, but I also know that it’s not because of busyness, but meaningful approaches to connecting with those around me. I have also learned the need to pace myself, shifting traditions as needed, so that I can ensure I don’t undermine the kind of connection I’m hoping to honor in the process.
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A Feel Good Place
Creating a Welcoming Space as a Brand
During a trip through New England, my wife and I had to make a pit stop in the southern parts of Connecticut, and given that both of us have a penchant for trying new coffee shops, we picked a random one named Cheshire Coffee.
Now, most roadside coffee stops have to rely on standard, franchise-like business models to thrive, because the largest part of their customer base lies with people who are more interested in making a quick stop than lingering. However, Cheshire Coffee did something a little different: it was close enough to be a pit stop for someone traveling along the highway, but it offered enough interesting coffee blends, specialty drinks, and a space that invited lingering to warrant additional investigation.
After researching the business, I found that they have actually been growing steadily for decades, but have been hyper-focused on local engagement which has helped them sustain that growth in rather unique ways.
From the Bookshelf
DARK MATTER BY BLAKE CROUCH
Jason Dessen may love his life, but he can’t help wondering what it might have been like if he had made different choices. He loves his family dearly, but would he have been more accomplished professionally if they hadn’t had their son? That question nags at Jason until one night, he’s drugged and kidnaped by a masked man who will give him a glimpse of what life would have looked like had tried for success over love.
For Casual Readers: The book will likely appeal to anyone who’s enjoys thrillers that focus heavily on the choices we make to build suspense. It’s also a fairly quick read, so someone looking for a book they can enjoy without needing to dedicate weeks to it would likely enjoy it.
For Writers: The book deals with the question of the multiverse as a reflection of the choices we make, and therefore provides a useful case study to those who are looking to write stories that deal with the multiverse. The way Crouch structures the multiverse also lends itself well to creating the suspense needed for thrillers, so it’s a useful read for writers of the genre to explore as well.
What Comes Next
Enjoyed this issue? Here’s what you can expect from the next newsletter:
Some thoughts on the role fear plays in life
An analysis of a New York coffee company that ensures its entire supply chain is ethical
A book review of a novel reimagining the Wizard of Oz.
As always, while this project may be a space where I share some of the things I have been thinking of, I also want to make sure it delivers value for you. So if you have feedback on what you would like to see, let me know and your recommendation may make it into the next issue.
