Two years ago I wrote an article “Just who are we thanking, God or turkey?” I had no intent on being unnecessarily facetious, especially in that many people in America equate Thanksgiving Day for a religious occasion, whether aptly or mistakenly so. The fact is, most people seldom take the time to thank God (or the turkey), partly because we have more important things to do with our time, like planning for Black Friday shopping deals. Again, this is not a swipe against the shop-aholics and my few friends who seek every opportunity to swipe a credit card (and cringle later). This is America, and we all have our priorities, misplaced or otherwise. Enough of the pun-filled nostalgia.Thanksgiving Day 2009 is slightly different for most of us, in the face of what has been a very eventful year. Some have loved and lost (and loved again). A bunch of people have been fired and downsized and sidestepped in the name of global economic downturn. A bunch of people lot homes, cars, trailers and many other possessions that is eternally stuck with their FICO scores, and even they have good reasons to be thankful too. Thankful that people like Madoff, Stanford and Ken Lay are no longer a part of our society, but you can bet there are many more people who will rather have their millions in bank accounts instead of these ‘gansgters’ out of sight. I can bet also that a little genius was born somewhere in the world on the same day that Michael Jackson died, so it’s not all gloom.
Thanksgiving 2009 may especially be interesting for people like Nancy Pelosi who will be credited with passing her House version of the much talked-about health care bill, but not so much for Republicans who are still struggling to find which direction their ideology will go. Then there is my girl Sarah Palin, new book, new gig and who knows, maybe new ideas too. Afghanistan, Pakistan and Irag are just a few of the global hotspots, but they too will have something to be thankful for. Nothing at all Hamid Karzai should be thankful for being reelected president in Afghanistan, although his job is a little more daunting than fancy. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but no amount of turkey and dressing will appease the Taliban, so President Karzai, good luck on that front.
The economic recovery packages are still finding its way into the heartland, Wall Street is finding ways to make billions of dollars without ripping the rest of us off, and I don’t know whether to be thankful or be ticked off. On my side of the street, there are still many things to be thankful for; - the Houston Texans still haven’t found a way to close games but my New England Patriots are on track to win the SuperBowl. I thank the Kings of Leon for giving me a song to jam to while driving on Houston’s ‘ridiculous’ freeways. I too, have loved and lost (and loved again) and through it all I am thankful for all I have loved, the ones I can’t stop loving (and the few I am thrilled to have lost).
Most of us will gladly say we are blessed to be alive, but also cognizant of the mess we have lived through in the past year. At least we are all thankful because are still on this side of the grass.
So on this day, Thanksgiving Day 2009, it may be rather presumptuous on my part, but if you ask just who we are thanking, I can say for a fact that it isn’t the turkey.
