Man, I love turkey and stuffing…..
Ostensibly, the reason for Thanksgiving was to give thanks for what you have. I try to be grateful and recognize that gratitude on more than just Thanksgiving.
I am very aware that when someone does something for me they had a choice – expend that resource (money, time, interest, property, concern, emotion, etc.) on me or keep it for themselves (or someone else). As a result, I always try to be grateful, express my gratitude, and make sure they know I recognize that they had a choice and they chose me. Seems kinda basic to me.
At the moment (and this can change in the blink of an eye), I have a place to live, a job, a vehicle, a couple close friends, some money in the bank, food in the cupboards, and a margin of safety from all the bad things that lurk out there. Sure, it can change in an instant…but right now Im sitting in my warm house with electricity, hot water, food, arms, communications, clean clothing, and toilets that flush….and I am grateful for all of it.
I don’t want to say I worked hard for it all…I am, by nature, a really lazy person..doing just enough is usually my standard….but there were a lot of times I did things I didn’t want to do, denied myself things I wanted, and put my instant gratification desires on hold. And thats why I can take a hot shower, cook up a cheeseburger, listen to Spotify while I clean guns, and lead a calmer life than what I probably deserve.
I think part of preparedness is always being quite cognizant of just how tenuous our lives can be. We know that theres a future where we’re huddled around a campfire of burning 2×4’s where the tornado took the house, where we look in the fridge and theres nothing but a box of baking soda and ketchup, where we spend hours a day looking for a job as we watch our bank accounts dwindle, where we feel unsafe, insecure, and hopeless. Thats why we prepare…to mitigate those events, to reduce our fragility, to increase our resilience. And when you’re aware of what the bad side of life could look like, it tends to make you more aware and grateful for the good side that you’re experiencing.
So I hope everyone enjoys the holiday. Have an awesome time with the family and friends, eat turkey, watch football, drink and be merry. But at some point, either alone or with your close ones, recognize what you have and appreciate it. Maybe it isn’t all you want, maybe life is on a rocky path, maybe you’re fighting a fight that you’d rather not have to….but it could always be worse. Take a moment and genuinely appreciate what youve got.
Have a good holiday, guys.
Well said! Enjoy the day!
Yep, be thankful, as I am. I’ve led a frugal lifestyle out of necessity while raising my kids. And when the company I worked for closed in my late 50’s that frugality paid off. I found that older guys in my occupation weren’t in much demand, so the last ten years of my work life was catch as catch can. But being debt free and having a paid off mortgage and some tangible assets, paid dividends. Now at 76, I don’t feel the need to be a Walmart Greeter to survive. Of course, as you said, that could change in a heart beat, but in the meanwhile….Yea me!
Pjalst! to you and yours.
Always prepare, always be aware that everything can be taken away at a moments notice.
“If ye are prepared ye shall not fear”
Very true words. Happy Thanksgiving to you too.
Amen brother…
And thank you. You don’t have to share your insights and wisdom with us but you do and you are loved and appreciated. Thank you.
Happy Thanksgiving, gentlemen!
Thank you, Commander. As I told my kids, there is always someone who would Thank The Almighty, should he have your problems (ONLY your problems) to worry about.
I m thankful for my “problems”.
Happy Thanksgiving. We all have something to be thankful for … many things.
So- “I am, by nature, a really lazy person”
Necessity isn’t the mother of invention, laziness is.
Ever since I make it out of the surgery in January of this year, I have been very thankful for the time left to me, enjoying the people I meet and the friends I have made over the years. Enjoying the activities I am involved in and the people that are involved in these activities.
Have an awesome day to give thanks and appreciate the people in your lives. Our celebration was a good one, but we noticed three of our aunts declining in health. Not sure if two of them will be here for next year.
Most people in the US are not terribly grateful, I think, because they have never been threatened by not having those things – at least not seriously.
I learned early on in my military career that happiness is a hot shower, clean socks and a relatively non-stinky location to defecate. Food is a plus, too.
The rest? Simply polishing the gem…