What a controversial show. Partly because of the secretiveness of their society, have so few 'outsiders' ever gotten to know their ways of being. I'm not here to describe you the show; either you have already seen it and this would be mere, senseless repetition, or you have not seen it and should do so, for any attempt of description falls short for the uniqueness of this show.
I could not help but notice that almost all the 'travelers' (synonym of Gypsy) had a fervent need to preserve their culture. I believe this to be the root of the problem these people. And yet this is far too common in almost all societies. The famous 'nostalgia' that romantics have, and the people that so desperately try to keep things as they are - alias, Holden Caulfield and his inability to accept change, reflected on his love for museums 'where nothing ever changes'.
The issue here is that this goes precisely against one of the most important truths in life. Everything, absolutely everything is forever changing. Thanks to Charles Darwin who disseminated this concept in the world of his time, we know that species evolve. Even us, human beings, are immersed in such change (just a site that talks about this: http://web4health.info/en/aux/homo-sapiens-future.html). Likewise, all successful businessmen know that the their companies need to be adaptable and flexible to new situations and markets in order to survive the passage of time.
Perhaps we should not be afraid of change. We should embrace it. We could certainly write about the past, paint it or remember it (mostly through rose-tinted glass), but not expect to maintain a culture exactly as it is for more than its normal lifespan.
Moreover, many traditions distort through time and they no longer make sense. For, in the end, it is we, the ones who are still alive who mold the world and fill it with life. Let us meditate on letting go.
