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thanksgiving
2001-11-21-9:23 a.m.
Yesterday was pretty bad, as far as days go. But nothing worth elaborating on, and it wasn't anything horrible, just crappy. But days have to be bad sometimes, it's inevitable. This makes me think of something: (A rare thing I know.) Thanksgiving is coming up tomorrow, and I'm going to be very silly, and I'm going to talk about what Thanksgiving means to me. It's in a roundabout way, so bear with me. I really think that I don't bitch as much as 90 percent of the people who write on diaryland. Sure I bitch, but its usually just to be funny, although sometimes it is serious. The thing is, I realize that someone not liking me, or having a bad day at my job, or people annoying me or whatever, isn't really that important. It's a part of life, and it's all relatively minor. If you let those sorts of things get to you, or make you depressed, you're missing out on the other 90 percent of your life that is going well. I'm not saying that you shouldn't note these bad things and deal with them, but all the drama really isn't needed. So I think everyone needs to stop and take a look around, I mean really look, and see what they have going for them. Sure, this will be the first thanksgiving where my parents are divorced. And for thanksgiving and christmas, my little brother will be with my dad who'll be with his new girlfriend. Chances are good that I'll go through this holiday season, single again, when it's at it's most depressing. Oh and I'm broke, because the car I wanted to sell just died completely yesterday. And I was counting on that money to pay off some bills and to help my mom with christmas and the end of year taxes on our house. Oh fucking well, none of that is really a big deal. Why? Because I'm not sick, I'm not in jail, and none of my family is either. We'll all likely have not just enough, but actually far too much to eat. We all have a nice house to live in, we all live close enough to see each other, we all have jobs, we all have cars, we are all breathing another year. So if you have someplace to go tomorrow, even if it's just with a friend or a family member, relax, take the day off, and eat and drink too much. And although I rarely drink or party anymore, I for one will start drinking scotch and coke around 10 a.m. tomorrow, because I have something to celebrate and no responsibilty for the whole day. I'll talk with family who I probably never talk to all year, and who may annoy me, but who I have history with. I'll look back at things I did years ago with my cousins while waiting for lunch (we always eat twice on thanksgiving.) And our parents and grandparents will look back and remember when we were children, running around and talking nonsense and glad to have a week off from school. It seems like that wasn't that long ago. And before long, the kids that are running beneath my feet now, chasing balls and riding wagons will be having the same discussions we are. And we'll sit and laugh and tell them we remember when they were kids, and we'll all watch the new group of children doing the same thing. And it'll be me sitting in the chair yelling about the football game and falling asleep after I eat. Because that's what we're supposed to do. It's whats happened for generations before us, and it will happen for generations after us. That's the beauty of tradition. Lord knows someday I'll be the funny smelling old man who thinks the kids have it all figured out, running and playing, and who thinks their parents are crazy for telling them to quit running or to slow down or to not eat that cake yet. And then I'll die. But it doesn't matter, because I'll have lived a full life, and I'll have left aspects of myself behind all over the world, in my children, and in the people I influence. So what if Thanksgiving started because some pilgrims landed on a rock? I'm talking about what it means today. If you're like me you bust your ass all year, so give yourself one day. Don't fight with your family or friends, don't stress over who forgot the damn potato salad, don't use the day to catch up on chores. Another year just passed you by, and they only pick up speed from here on out, so take a moment and take it all in, and god damnit be thankful you can. -- Ronnie
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