My family and I are at Disneyland this week and you’d think the environment would be good fodder for a column. And you’d be right in your thinking, but my mind has drifted outside the happiest place on Earth into the surrounding Southern California streets.
For those of you not familiar with Southern California, there are many Mexican restaurants and taco stands. A common denominator that unites these fiesta feederies is the observance of “Taco Tuesdays.” Each and every week, tacos are discounted to honor the importance of Tuesdays.
As I drove past yet another “Taco Tuesday” sign, I began to question the implications of this alliteration-driven, Mexican meal price reduction. What if tacos were named … macos? Would we celebrate “Maco Mondays?” Or what about “Fraco Fridays.” By the way, I really hope maco and fraco don’t mean something vulgar in Spanish. I’d look it up, but who really has the time to Google these days? So don’t you look it up either.
Regardless, it bothers me that all this “Taco Tuesday” savings rests upon the whimsy of alliteration. In fact, this “Taco Tuesday” trend is truly troubling. Just because a word duplet pleases the ears doesn’t mean we should change the course of culture.
Can you imagine the ensuing health crisis that would occur if we changed Wednesday to a more pizza friendly noun. “Well kids, I don’t quite know why we eat pizza every week, it just seems like the right thing to do on Puesdays. Now how about another slice of Fraco pizza?”
All right, now I’m just getting silly. But you get the point. I’ve been at Disneyland all week and the long lines have provided my mind opportunity to wander. Serpentining through an endless labyrinth of creatively queued entrances gives a man time to ponder the more pedestrian annoyances of existence.
For example, why do so many songs contain the words mountain and fountain? There is no logical reason for this word pairing other than the fact that they rhyme. As a Northwest native I have been known to partially climb a mountain or two. However, during these alpine hikes I have not once desired to associate the mountain splendor with anything related to, or associated with, a fountain.
Even so, there is an abundance of mountain/fountain lyrics. From hymnals, to musicals, to love ballads, mountains and fountains will forever be paired. Even if there is no rhyme nor reason for its mutual inclusion … oh wait … I guess rhyme is the reason.
At least I’m thankful mountain doesn’t rhyme with words like prostate or vomit. Otherwise, “The Sound of Music” would have a whole different vibe.
I guess everything doesn’t always need profound meaning to exist. Some things purely inhabit the realm of whim and whimsy.
Consequently, tacos cost less on Tuesdays. In reality, we enjoy many words, ideas or even concepts for meaningless reasons. The words just sound right when strung together. Therefore, fountain drinkers and mountain hikers happily coexist in our songs.
Sometimes I try really hard to say learned or meaningful words. I attempt to wow people with important spiritual ideas by flexing my mental acuity and theological prowess. Other times, I just write and say what comes to mind. A thought appears, and I try my best to catch and play with it before I let it run free.
Too often we try to defend our worth by doing and saying important things. Fortunately, God loves our playfulness as much as our attempts at wisdom. I’m convinced God is the creator of silliness. Well, at least He’s the creator of you and me … which seems to imply that God enjoys ridiculous, illogical, childish stories. At least that’s my perspective from Disneyland.
Doug Bursch hosts “The Fairly Spiritual Show” at 6 p.m. Saturdays on KGNW 820 AM. He also pastors Evergreen Foursquare Church. Evergreen meets at 10 a.m. Sundays at the Riverside High School Theater. He can be reached at www.fairlyspiritual.org or doug@fairlyspiritual.org.
