My Folklore and Worldview

1. It is a fairly common event at my house to have my friends come over with whom I cook large meals together with. There is no traditional meal prepared, but rather the process is exploratory, involving the browsing of numerous cookbooks and online recipes to find what sounds like the best option. This is folklore because the tradition is flexible and ever-changing, not in anyway set in stone. I believe it reflects my worldview in signifying a kind of openness I have to trying new things and not needing to stick to just what I know.

2. About a year and a half ago I bought a big screen TV and hooked it up to a computer which allowed me access to a seemingly infinite amount of mass media and entertainment. While it now provides an easy solution for my entertainment needs, it certainly has also negated some of the other aspects of my social life. I tend to go out a lot less these days, instead opting to play video games or watch movies. This represents somewhat of a dissipation of folklore in my home as technology has come in and taken over. However, when group activities are scheduled around the TV and it becomes a social act rather than just a staving off of boredom, then in these cases I suppose it could be considered folkloric along customary lines. My worldview is represented by my affinity for technology. Generally speaking, I enjoy new gadgets and gizmos and I tend to keep myself informed of the latest technological innovations. However, my acceptance of technological improvments has its limits and the boundary is that point where I recognize the loss of other important cultural norms.

3. Over the years I have traveled a lot, and in these travels one of my main goals was to come back with good stories to tell. Now these stories are told about me fairly regularly and I struggle to escape from having to hear over and over again about my more humiliating indulgences. This is very much like folklore because they are very personal stories that are often told in different versions by different people. These stories are often humorous and reflect a general optimism I can associate with my worldview.