@Nils: Finals are killing me.

I did indeed have a good one. Our family gathering on Saturday was a ton of fun; lots of laughs, lots of good food. There was one negative to it, if you can call it a negative, but I’m going to be quiet about that, because it’s going to be a post.

I understand what you’re saying, and I pretty much agree. I’m glad I have a job; that I’m in school. But thankful? That’s iffy. I have a job and I’m in school because I busted my butt to get both. I am, however, generally thankful for things that I like but didn’t have any influence over: I don’t write books, so I’m thankful that other folks do so I can read them, etc. etc.

Hell, even the French revolutionaries realized the need for annual “markers” that bring people together

At least for my family, that’s pretty much what Thanksgiving is anymore. We don’t sit around and talk about all of the things we’re thankful for; we get together, eat good food, and talk / laugh a lot. While I’m sure the generalization wouldn’t hold for all American families, I’d say that’s what Thanksgiving is to many of them anymore.

I suppose TG is, like many holidays we have here, whether we share them or not, an incentive to think about things – Remembrance Day, Christmas, whatever – even if you don’t subscribe to some, or most, of the sentiments expressed, or the traditions that come with them.

Hell, even the French revolutionaries realized the need for annual “markers” that bring people together – for which see: my excellent post I did on the subject once, being a top notch 9ruler and all

So, for me it’s hard to “get” the concept of being thankful for things around me that weren’t specifically “given” to me. I can be thankful for a beer or a hug, but for the world I live in…

Mm, let me try and rephrase…

I’m happy I don’t live in a shit country where there’s floods or bombings or dictators. I thank the people in generations before me who fought and died for that. And I’m happy “to be in a job and in a bed” (Les Miz, not mine).

Still not sure this is convincing enough… I waver. I’ll try again.

It’s just that I have a hard time being thankful for things that have a lot to do with myself: the job, I worked hard for to convince my boss and to keep at it, the bed I nearly lost at times but I fought hard against adversity and inner demons to keep it (and when I mean bed, I mean the home and the fact that I’m not on the streets – not the actual mattress)…

Oh, I don’t know. Crazy, existentialist European I guess

I get what you mean, though, and I think you’re cool for realizing what you have. Let’s conclude by simply repeating how I started: hope you had a good one! I mean that.