June 12, 2009

Thankful For...

It seems lately we only hear all the doom and gloom on the news about the economy, foreign countries that might decide to wipe us out, or a deadly flu that could kill us, so I decided to do a thankful blog. Even with everything that’s going on there are plenty of things we can appreciate.

If you are online you have the Internet to be thankful for. It’s so important it’s supposed to be capitalized. It’s like cell phones and microwave ovens, we didn’t realize we had to have it until we got it. Now if our service is down we panic. Oh my God! We might have to talk to each another.

Most of us have our health. I haven’t heard of anyone I know catching the H1N1 flu. Some of us around here have a case of allergies but (knock on wood) no one has “the” flu.

I am thankful to still have my house in one piece. After the firestorm that raged through my town a few weeks a go I feel very fortunate to still have a place to hang my hat. Well, technically, I don’t wear a hat but if I wore one I’d have a place to hang it.

Our children don’t have to work in factories and have the privilege of free education. Sure we complain about the public school system because we are spoiled Americans and that’s what we do but there are countries that have to pay for their kids to go to school and if they can’t afford it their children go to work. Even the kids that go to school sometimes have to go from school to a job. We really don’t realize how good we have it. Some of you might argue that our taxes pay for their education, well yes this is true, but in some countries taxes go to other things.

Even if you can’t afford the latest styles you have clothes to wear and shoes on your feet. If you don’t, there are churches and organizations that give clothing away. Third world countries have naked and barefoot people that would be glad to have anything even if it’s not in style.

Food is available to everyone here. We have so much to eat some of us have to go on diets and exercise programs while there are starving people in other countries that spend much of their time figuring out where their next meal will come from.

We have plenty of space to live in. Drive to Midwestern America (I didn’t think Midwestern should be capitalized but my computer disagrees and that red line bothered me) and you will see miles and miles of undeveloped land as far as the eye can see. Some countries have so many people they are stacked on top of one another struggling for a square foot of space to stand on.

Many of us have a vehicle. It might not be the latest model or in pristine condition but if it gets you from point “A” to point “B” you have something to be thankful for.

Some of you have kids. Even though the little boogers can drive you to drink on occasion they are truly a blessing. They make us laugh when we are tired and sad. They can find amazement in the smallest of things. Take them to a park or zoo and it’s a whole new experience. They will point out sites you ordinarily would have missed. Of course if you don’t have a kid you can borrow a niece or nephew. The younger they are the more fun. I was at a restaurant last night and a baby behind me was laughing. Try to keep a straight face when you hear an infant giggle. I can’t do it.




Here’s an old song from the mid 70’s some of you may not have heard in a long time. You youngin’s have probably never heard it. There’s a disco version but I decided not to subject you to that. lol