'But We've ALWAYS Done It That Way!'

The Ham

I Once Heard A Story about a little girl who used to watch her mother prepare Ham for dinner. In preparing the Ham the mother always cut off 2 inches from both sides of the Ham. 

The Girl asked her mother one day, "Mom, why do you cut 2 inches off the sides of the Ham before you place the Ham in the pan and then in the oven?"

 "Well, you see," said the mother, "I learned this trick from my your grandmother--I used to watch her and that is what she used to do before she put the Ham in the pan and then in the oven."

 "I see," said the little girl, "but why?"

 The mother thought and said, "I think it's because it makes the Ham taste different--it gives it a distinctive taste."

One day the little Girl was at her grandmother's house and they were both the kitchen preparing Ham for dinner. The little girl watched her grandmother cut 2 inches off the side of the Ham just like her mother.

The little girl asked her grandmother, "Grandma, why do you cut 2 inches off the sides of the Ham before you place it in the pan and then in the oven?"

"Well, you see," said the grandmother, "I learned this trick from my mother--this is what she used to do before she put the ham in the pan and then in the oven."

 "I see," said the little girl, "but why?"

 The grandmother thought and said, "I think it's because it allows the heat to go all the way through the Ham while it's cooking."

It so happened, not too long after, the little girl was at her great grandmother house and she was in the kitchen watching her great grandmother preparing a Ham for dinner. Her great grandmother cut 2 inches off the side of the Ham, place the ham in the pan and then place the pan in the oven.

The little girl then asked her Great Grandmother, "Granny, why do you cut 2 inches off the sides of the Ham before you place it in the pan and then in the oven?"  

"Well, you see," said the Great Grandmother, "If I don't cut 2 inches off both sides of the Ham I will never be able to fit the Ham into my pan."

Reflection by Ken Willers

Sometimes we do things because we’ve always done it that way and many times we don’t even know why. Breaking old habits can be hard. 

Harder still and even more important is to understand the value behind our actions so if change is necessary we know what the true cost of change may be and how it will impact our lives.