Shots Across The Bow

Happy Thanksgiving!

When you read this, it better be tomorrow (Friday). If you're reading this on Thursday, get up out of your chair and go hang out with your family/friends. If you're all alone, and in the neighborhood, come on over and share some leftovers; Thanksgiving is a time to get together and enjoy each other's company, not sit behind a monitor and type away to the pixel people. (And despite the date and time on this post, I'm actually typing on Wednesday, while two pumpkin pies and a chocolate pecan pie bake in the oven.)

I'm thankful that/for:

• My kids are all healthy, smart, and reasonably happy, even the ones going through adolescence and driving my into the nut house.
• My ex and I can get along well enough that our kids have not faced more stress than necessary.
• My entire family, brother, sister, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, in laws, former in laws, are all healthy, happy, and safe.
• My mother; she's found the strength to carry on.
• My father; right or wrong, weak or strong, he made me the man I am today.
• My children, who make me proud to be their dad.
• Living in the freest country in the world today, if not in all of history. A country known for:
  • Tolerance, where my neighbor and I can disagree about religion, politics, or the price of a cup of coffee without feeling the need to shoot one another.
  • Freedom of speech, where one can criticize the government in the harshest possible temrs without fear of being fed into a paper shredder, or being "disappeared"
  • Generosity, where no tragedy is too large to handle; where the average citizen will give the very shirt off his back to help victims of disaster.
  • Opportunity, where anyone can improve themselves, regardless of race, ethnicity, or social background.
• The men and women in our military, who defend the freedoms many of us take for granted, even while some use those very freedoms to attack, harrass, or denigrate them or their mission.
• My friends, who enrich my life by allowing me to be a part of theirs.

I know there will be those who will look at this list, and want to disagree with one or more items, but they are missing the point. I'm not saying that things are perfect, or that everything is as good as it can be. But on this one day of the year, it might do us all some good to take a look around and realize just how good we have it here in the US. Even the harshest critics must admit (unless they've lost all touch with reality) that America is the best place in the world to live. Heck, just look at the immigration numbers, both legal and illegal. The world knows that America is the place to be if you want to improve your life and your family's life.

What we consider poverty, most nations consider great wealth. We complain about the lack of health care, yet very few people live more than an hour away from a hospital where they will get more health care than most people in the world dream of. We worry about hidden racism within our nation while other nations carry out genocide and ethnic cleansing campaigns within theirs We worry about 5% unemployment while Europe routinely deals with double digit unemployment numbers. By any measure you care to use, we are lucky to be living in America.

Sure, there's room for improvement in many areas, and lots of work to be done. But today is a day to count our blessings and appreciate what we have. So Happy Thanksgiving Day to each of you!

PS: I'm also very thankful to all of you who read these words. I'd write 'em anyway, but it's a lot more fun knowing that folks are reading and even enjoying this stuff.

Posted by Rich at November 24, 2005 12:01 AM | TrackBack