thursday, november 22, 2001
A Day to be Thankful - Last year, I wrote a list of thankful things. I think it's important to take some time to do that on this appointed day. And while last year's list is still valid, and reproduced below, there are certainly some additions. Some things for which I'm thankful that were likely just as true last year, I just didn't see them like I do now.

I'm thankful for the fact that several hundred years ago, some brave souls took a risk we can't even comprehend today, to load up in a boat and sail off to live a in truly new land, America. I'm also thankful that Native Americans were there to help them through those first difficult seasons, and saddened by what was later done to them by those they'd helped. Without either group, I wouldn't be here today.

I'm thankful I live in a country where the most contentious political battle ever seen for the leadership of this country did not devolve into violence, or even a hint of it. When an exchange of power occurs in this country, it doesn't happen at the end of a gun. In a greater worldwide perspective, that's a Big Thankful Thing.

I'm thankful I live in a country that is able to absorb a terrible blow and not crumble, as its enemies misjudged it would. A country that, even when deeply wounded, does not lash out blindly, as a government, or as a people. A country that gives the appearance of (and freedom to be) a fractious collection of self interested wildly divergent individuals, but also pulls together in amazing unity, when it counts. I'm thankful I got to see it in my lifetime.

I'm thankful for police officers, fire fighters, emergency medical personnel, and others who serve the public in times of crisis. We saw them tested in New York, but we see people who would do the same thing, every day in our home town.

I'm thankful for New York City. And that's a bit of a surprise. I've never hated the city in any way, but it goes against my personal constitution. Love to visit, but after 48 hours or so, I begin to feel like a cow. An increasingly rabid cow. Perhaps I'm not tough enough, or haven't lived there long enough to get properly Manhattanized. But damned if I can think of any city better prepared to take the terrible blow they have. No one should have to be tested that way, but New Yorkers have risen to the occasion with courage and grace. You might say it would have happened in any city struck like that. I'm not so sure. At any rate, the people of New York, from the Mayor on down, have been a real inspiration to me the past couple of months.

I'm thankful I was raised by parents who not only were (and are) supportive in every way, but saw to it I came up caring about my fellow man, and the impact my actions have on others. As I look around today, I sometimes think that's the greatest gift of all, as it seems almost extinct. Certainly endangered. Whether by genetics, or the environment in which I was brought up, I owe it to them. And lot more.

I'm thankful for the woman I love. And most importantly, thankful she loves me, and shows it in a thousand ways. Those two sentences have few words, but say it all.

I'm thankful for the friends who are there when I need them, as well as for the ones who aren't, as I'm often not there for them. Modern society places so many demands on our time, it seems our friends are the ones who suffer most. At least, mine do. So I'm thankful they're still my friends.

I'm thankful for our pets. It may seem a silly thing to mention, especially as much as we fuss about the things they do and the way they act, but it's so easy to take them for granted. Through the eyes of a couple of friends who face the facts of an aging pet, I see Fuji's future. And I'm thankful she's still here, and healthy. Yes, Bosco, and Coco, you too (they're so jealous of attention).

I'm thankful for Blogger Greymatter, and Mindspring (still can't bear to call them Earthlink), and Macromedia, and Adobe, and yes, even Microsoft. Narrowly, they have made this web log possible, and the thousands of others around the world. This "new literary form" has been such a joy for me, even today, as it allows the people mentioned above to see my thoughts about them, only slightly delayed. And more broadly, I thank those companies, and the many individuals, whose contributions have made the whole NetWeb Thang possible. It's been a true paradigm shift for me, and continues to be. I'm most thankful for new frontiers.

I'm thankful for every one of those fellow travellers, linked in the column on the left, because they share their journey with me.

I'm thankful you read this far. Have a Happy Thanksgiving.