What I'm Thankful For
I've spent a good portion of this day trying to think what in the world am I thankful for. I looked and looked and found little to nothing to be thankful for. The more I looked, the less I could find. I'm barely making it through. I'm over my head in debt with student loans. I'm worrying my ass off if I can make it. I have little family that acknowledges me, and little I want to deal with. My wife ran off years ago and I can't pay for a divorce. Overall, not all that great of a life, at least I thought. I watched the news as I so oft do, (BBC in case you're wondering. I'm sick of being talked down to by our media.) Then I saw it.
I was sitting, eating and watching these poor people in Africa still starving. But what's worse is the reason they were was because of a mistake. Children with infected mouths, and soars. Some of which wouldn't heal. Families lost to starvation and malnutrition. That's when I started to realize that it's not all that bad. I've got friends that are close to me. I've got possibilities ahead of me. I've got a roof over my head and some heat.(Got to be damned careful with the utility bill.) I've got some food. Maybe as much as I need. I've got the things that make me happy close by.(Though frankly they're not as good as a hug from a good friend.) It's for those good things in my life I'm thankful.
I may disagree with how this country is run, but at least I can. And in all truth, I love this country. I love it for all it's possibilities, it's symbolic for truth, justice and peace. I love this country for the dream of a better life and world it represents. We have our faults, but we are a country where at least we can and do change. It may not always be in the right way, or the best, but we generally come around to face that we need to and then do change. We may get lost in our self-righteousness, but there's a good portion that still believe in the "American Dream." And it's not a dream of capitalism or Christian righteousness, but a dream that all people are treated fair and equally under the law. It is dream of peace, unity and cooperation. A dream of tolerance for people that are different. It is for that dream that still lives in hearts of many Americans for which I am thankful.
I was sitting, eating and watching these poor people in Africa still starving. But what's worse is the reason they were was because of a mistake. Children with infected mouths, and soars. Some of which wouldn't heal. Families lost to starvation and malnutrition. That's when I started to realize that it's not all that bad. I've got friends that are close to me. I've got possibilities ahead of me. I've got a roof over my head and some heat.(Got to be damned careful with the utility bill.) I've got some food. Maybe as much as I need. I've got the things that make me happy close by.(Though frankly they're not as good as a hug from a good friend.) It's for those good things in my life I'm thankful.
I may disagree with how this country is run, but at least I can. And in all truth, I love this country. I love it for all it's possibilities, it's symbolic for truth, justice and peace. I love this country for the dream of a better life and world it represents. We have our faults, but we are a country where at least we can and do change. It may not always be in the right way, or the best, but we generally come around to face that we need to and then do change. We may get lost in our self-righteousness, but there's a good portion that still believe in the "American Dream." And it's not a dream of capitalism or Christian righteousness, but a dream that all people are treated fair and equally under the law. It is dream of peace, unity and cooperation. A dream of tolerance for people that are different. It is for that dream that still lives in hearts of many Americans for which I am thankful.