There was a large family gathering and little Suzi was in the kitchen watching her mother do some cooking. She watched as her mom cut off each end of the ham before placing it in the dish for baking in the oven. Suzi asked her mom, Why do you cut the ends off the ham before you place it in the baking dish? Her mother very nonchalantly said, Well, that's just the way my mom taught me. Why don't you go ask Grandma.
So, off she went. Grandma? Why do you cut the ends off the ham before you place it in the baking dish? Grandma said with a similar nonchalant response, Oh, I don't know dear, that's just the way my mom taught me. Why don't you go ask great grandma. Luckily, great grandma was still alive and able to make it to this Easter gathering. So, off Suzi went again.
Great Grandma why do you cut the ends off the ham before you place it in the baking dish. Great Grandma said Sweetie, I haven't done that since your grandma was a child. Why do you ask? Suzi explained that her mother was doing it because she learned it from Grandma and Grandma has always done it because she learned it from you when she was little, but you don't cut the ends off the ham any more? Oh my! The great Grandma said, I did that when your grandmother was a little girl because I only had one size of pan and I had to do it to make the ham fit. Your grandma must have seen me do that when she was little and never thought to ask why and just passed it down.
WOW!!!! I wonder how much ham this family wasted over the years because no one thought to question authority? Curiosity is a wonderful thing. Be brave enough to voice your curiosities and hold on to the childlike inquisitive nature. I am not one bit afraid of asking what something means or why something is done a certain way. Leaving curiosities lingering in your mind without voicing them could end up costing you in the long run. So, why cut yourself short?
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