Following Tradition with a Twist

In this day of image " makeover," preoccupation with "image" seems to have reached outrageous proportions. Everybody wants to put his or her best foot forward as often as possible. Unfortunately, this can sometimes lead to favoring form over substance. Consider this story:

Once there was a man who happens to occupy the highest office in the land. This man had a cat. He spends several minutes each day praying for his constituents, then spends more time planning how best he can serve them. He would met with them and talk to them about their concerns. As days go by, his time with his constituents became longer and more satisfying. He came to cherish his time with the people and the people love him for it. His cat came to like it too. She would cozy up to him, purr loudly and rub her furry body against him. This distracted the man in his routine, so he put a collar around the cat's neck and tied her to a chair each time he spends time with the people. This seemed to upset the cat, but it meant that the man could have his time with the people, undisturbed.

Over the years the daughter of this man, who followed in her father's footsteps, had noted how much the people love her father. When she began to establish some routines for her own career, for she, too, gets elected to the highest office of the land, she did what her father had done. Dutifully, she prayed for her constituents and plan how best she can serve them, and just like her father during his time, she also had a cat which she tied to a chair while praying and planning for her constituents. However, in her generation, time move faster and she could not spend time meeting with and talking to the people, as her father did before her. She has to find time to clean the mess of her chubby hubby who is very lazy.

The daughter had a son. The day came when her son was grown up. He also wanted to follow in his mother's footsteps and preserve some of the family tradition, which had meant so much to his mother and grandfather. But the pace of life had quickened, all the more, and there simply was no time for elaborate people proceedings, such as praying, planning, meeting, much more so talking to them. No time! After all he has his movie career to attend to and expensive thoroughbred horses to ride. So, he eliminated, not only meeting and talking to the people like his mother did. He also ceased the praying and the planning part of the routine. But in order to carry on with the familiy tradition, he got a cat. Each day, while he is dressing, he tied the cat to a chair!

The foregoing is a tragic illustration of favoring form over substance and in adhering to family tradition with a funny but lamentable twist.