Traditional Worry

Anonymous

Today I decided I wanted to invest in some quality worry beads. Worry beads, or komouli, resemble prayer beads and serve as a means for nervous habit and stress reduction, or just biding the time. Generally when I travel I try to get myself one nice thing that will represent the trip for me. In Norway, I bought a Norwegian sweater that I wear frequently in the winter. When I was in Greece before, I remember the beads clicking away in people hands all over the place but thought little of them. Now it seems I have changed my mind. I like the idea of having something to distract your hands when you are waiting and the tradition seemed fitting to my desires. I invested in a nice amber set and promptly realized I had no idea how to properly execute the rhythmic motions that locals do to produce the soothing patter of beads coming together. I spent about two hours doing the complete wrong thing until Ben finally convinced me how to do it correctly and I am slowly becoming more adept at the process. I think the thing that attracted me the most about these beads is the idea of participant observation in anthropology. The only way to even somewhat understand another culture is by becoming involved in its intricacies and only then can you try to realize the similarities and differences between your own traditions and someone else’s.