How to start a tradition

Sometimes traditions are created deliberately; Other times they are developed out of what appears to be pure chance.

I learned of a tradition of the latter form this past week while visiting with a former military judge who served at Fort Hood.

This judge retired from the military after completing a stint at Fort Hood. He told me about a print he had hanging in his office. He had purchased it in Paris. It was a courtroom scene that he was drawn to because the artist seemed to capture appropriate expressions for all of the major players in a courtroom.

The print hung in his office during his years on post. Over time, it had occassionally fallen from the wall, and the glass that encapsulated it had developed a small crack in it. The frame needed some repair.

The former judge explained to me how he cleaned out his office for the final time and inadvertanly left the painting behind. He said he never thought about it again. He was too busy establishing his own legal pratice.

Then, one day, years after he had retired from the military, the man was back in the Fort Hood courthouse looking at artwork in the hallway. He noticed that judges who had presided after him had all donated artwork after their service was complete.

Then, he made a stunning discovery. His own artwork, left behind years ago, was the first print displayed.

It turns out the judge that replaced him and moved into his office had taken his forgotten print, purchased new glass for it and fixed the frame. Then the new judge affixed a small nameplate to it stating that the print had been donated to the courthouse by the retiring judge.

That's how this man learned that his oversight eventually led to a tradition still followed by judges today.

Once he learned about this, he asked that his print be taken off the wall. He said it was easily the most "ratty looking" donation, so he spent $75 to have it reframed. Then he placed it back on the wall.

I just hope that the judges who have participated in this tradition didn't feel pressured to participate, because I'm confident the person who inadvertantly started it would not want that.