It's turkey day! People gather at the "turkey" table once -maybe twice a year to give thanks honoring a historical event that happened more than four centuries ago. The story could already have the status of a legend. And it actually has much of a myth. Like Roland Barthes, I am also "fascinated by the meanings of the things that surround us in our everyday lives." The turkey is no longer just an edible animal, but a symbol, with so many connotations, that people could even wear its image on a pin and deliver a cluster of meanings to choose from, depending on the reception of the reader.
Does not the "turkey" represent a baggage of values, traditional customs, the quality of relationships, a people's idiosyncrasy, its identity? Does the turkey represent American solidarity, will for progress, resiliance, family support, mutual help, charity, and good will...
I'm not blind either to the other side of history and its corollaries, but I guess, a people has the right to show that human nature has its contradictions, they are real and are not mutually exclusive; on the contrary, we constantly cohabit with the good and the evil. In any case, I chose to write today only about the positive meanings of the turkey. The news had a story today about some people who found new uses for a frozen turkey, like knocking down a thief with it, bowling, covering holes, etc. Funny! I don't have that much imagination. Additionally, I'm glad to learn that people are giving away free turkeys; that we, the immigrants are learning how to celebrate with turkeys (something unheard of in the country where I came from, because we don't have any problem finding something to celebrate, but with cows! And even though we don't celebrate any Thanksgiving Day it doesn't mean we are not grateful for the cows, the gauchadas and the mates. Because, ¡un buen asadito no te lo niega nadie! y el mate, ¡menos! There I have another chapter of daily life mythology that I promise to address some other time.)
No comments:
Post a Comment