It’s an American holiday, Thanksgiving, but I believe there is a tradition which would benefit everyone. Simply, you just say what you are thankful for. I feel in todays world, what we are upset about drowns out any positive thoughts. Here are a few things I am thankful for this year.
Good music
I’m thankful for the creativity of millions of musicians over the years who have created auditory art for me to enjoy. Often, I will discover a band that no longer makes music like Superorganism but has a great punk-spongebob vibe. Other times a TikTok trend will make me rediscover a tiny little gem like this one from Labi Siffre.
Thank you musicians. One day, when AI does all manual labor, you will be the most valuable people in the world. For now, I humbly thank you.
Good Food
I have had some delicious food this year. Barcelona had some wonderful food. New restaurants have popped up. I feel that great food can be as artistic as music or other arts. But I am most thankful for my desert island food.
My go to lunch at home is a sandwich. I meant to take a picture of it, but I got hungry and ate it before I took the photo. So I asked MS Copilot to make me a picture of it. Here you go. It’s pretty close.
At Thanksgiving, my wife is going to make turkey the way my mom made it and we will have FatApples olallieberry pie. My mom is a better cook than my aunt Sharon thinks. She doesn’t make too many meals, but the ones she does are good.
I am thankful I have healthy, delicious, diverse food to choose from every day.
Good health
I am especially thankful for the KneesOverToes guy. Last night, I tried playing tennis without knee braces. I was slightly tentative, but I felt no pain. The program has done wonders for my knee arthritis.
In general, I am healthy. I have had no kidney stones (common in my family) and no acute health issues. A valuable coworker just had a retina detached. My heart is with her in her recovery but it makes me really count my blessings that I have not had problems.
I am getting older for sure, and many ailments are piling up. Still, my family is healthy, my dog is healthy, my parents and siblings are healthy-ish. I am thankful for health and well-being.
Good employment
With the world as topsy-turvy as it is, I am thankful for a well paying job at a company with a worthy mission. I really love my team and am very thankful for the opportunity to make a positive difference in their lives.
I mentor people on Fridays and know that we are in the middle of a serious employment crisis. Not having a steady income can be debilitating. I have had years of work famine for sure, but this feels like an especially tense time. I know AI is changing the world, but I am worried about a serious economic collapse.
However, until that happens, I am thankful for the position I have and work every day to make the most of it.
Other good stuff
I am thankful for great entertainment across stage and screen. It is a privilege to live in a place where so much is available.
I am thankful for my kids calling me and asking for help. It makes me so happy to provide inspiration for them.
I just noticed my ipad is bent! 😱 I am very thankful that it still works perfectly. It’s less than two years old and I would be annoyed to have to replace it.
I am thankful for many things and hope you and your loved ones have a happy and healthy year.
Sometimes, I blog to help people and sometimes, this is just a journal. Maybe this one is both.
Whatya think?