The old story tells of a newlywed couple hosting their first family dinner.  As the couple works in the kitchen, he asks her, “Why did you cut the end off the ham before you put it in the roasting pan?”  She answers that her mother always did it that way, so she does the same.  It happens that her mother walks in the kitchen and they both ask her the same question.  The answer is the same.  An hour later, the young bride’s grandmother arrives and all of them pose the question to her.  Her answer, predictably, is the very same.  Three generations have been performing this action without any idea why other than, “That’s how my Mom did it.” Continue reading →