Yeah…I know. This is a run of the mill, everybody asks it question, but it is the question that started me on this idea. Not only that, why would I blow my load and use the best questions on the first day? Don’t you fret, I will build up to those. You will be satisfied with the quality of future questions. Now on to my answers:
- My family and friends – Sure this is the typical vanilla answer for the typical vanilla question, yet it is still very relevant and VERY true. If not for the wonderful friends and family I have I would have undoubtedly killed myself. Not in the figurative sense, but in the literal, slit my wrist sense of the word. I love them and wouldn’t trade them for the world (just for Natalie Portman)
- My intelligence – As those of you who know me well know, I am very vain at times (and rightfully so) which would not be possible without the looks that I inherited from my parents. At one point in my life I was also athletic, but the main thing I am thankful for about my natural ability is my intelligence (even if I would have misspelled the word intelligence had spellcheck not caught it). I have been in the company of adults who have trouble with solving 7 + 3, and to call it a harrowing experience is a bit of an understatement. I am very thankful for the smarts I have, and so are my Trivial Pursuit and Scrabulous Skillz.
- My country of origin – As flawed as the U.S. is, I am not one that has much room to complain. Sure I am a minority, but a minority who went to magnet schools his whole life, was exposed to different things from an early age, and lived in a middle class family that never wanted for anything. No I have never been outside of the U.S., but I’ve never been to the moon either and I know I don’t want to live there. If the worst thing I have to worry about is a Klansman sticking a cross in my yard, I’ll take that over having to worry about the mass genocide or the ethnic cleansing of my people.
- The Internet – It is the only way that I currently communicate with people. I have told friends, and meant it, that I would rather have a stable internet connection than food. Where else can you read about current events, watch sports highlights, check up on your friends and find all the naked women that you could ever want? Well…where else other than Las Vegas? The Internet is something that I truly believe I couldn’t do without.
- My Jeep – What can I say about her? She has gotten me through some tough times. She has gotten me to the two biggest cities in our country and back. We have had intimate moments where she has seen me cry, and ones where I have seen her struggle. Yet through it all we are still together. She has kept me as warm as she could on cold nights, and has given me a place to rest my head when I had nowhere else. Despite the tone of this entry I really am extremely thankful for my vehicle.
Now it’s your turn. List 5 things you are thankful for.
Tags: Family, Friends, Hubris, Internet, Jeep, Love, Natalie Portman, Smart People, U.S., Vehicles
June 26, 2008 at 3:06 am
1- Companionship: Humans are trapped by a metal foible called confirmation bias. Psychologist have done comprehensive research about the phenomenon. Confirmation bias causes us to make arguments that support our own beliefs. As such other opinions are blocked out; conflicting evidence is ignored. We become more subjective and less objective about ourselves and others. A true companion, one you respect and love, can obliterate our war chest of self-delusion. They tell us those things we don’t want to hear. See the flaws in us that we don’t want to admit. Tell us when we may be on the wrong path. I am lucky enough to have one of those.
2- Children: A child is something I never desired in my youth. Not even conceptually, but things happen, plans change. And for that I’m thankful. Children are our most realistic hope to forge a better world. Parents wield an unfathomable influence over their developing minds. With that power, comes the responsibility to craft a compassionate, responsible, valuable additions to humanity. Children can be a lasting legacy and through generations and ages, a parent can make a change in the world.
3- Comics: Let’s stop waxing philosophical and take a moment to appreciate a guy in a cape throwing a werewolf into the sun. A good comic can unleash pure entertainment. Sometimes in connects a reader to decades of continuity and history. It invests the reader like an epic tome of literature: they become part of a wholly different reality. It’s nice to be taken away.
4- Film: The ability to entertain, enlighten and provoke… in less than three hours. Its a phenomenal feat to deafen the viewer to the drone of life and capture their attention for any amount of time. Even more astonishing when the flickering images teach us something about ourselves or someone else, presenting content for thoughtful rumination.
5- Video Games: Currently the lowest form of art and storytelling in entertainment media. It is an immature art, but it has the potential to do all those marvelous things in film and comics and literature, while breaking the fourth wall and involving the spectator in the formulation of the art. Not all games as the transformative experience of Twain’s prose or Da Vinci’s masterpieces, some are trite escapism. But they represent the possiblity something more.
June 26, 2008 at 11:50 am
Of course number 1 has to be friends and family (and my cats)! I wouldn’t even trade mine for Natalie Portman.
I’m thankful for all of the experiences that my parents afforded me growing up which have made me into the person who I am today.
I’m thankful for the ability to travel as much as I can afford it.
And eat all kinds of different foods.
And that I have a comfortable bed to sleep in every night.
Answering this question was harder than it seems because there’s so much more.
June 26, 2008 at 2:14 pm
1.) I’m definitely thankful for my family and friends. My family has been there for me through thick and thin. I hear other people talk about their family problems. Crackhead uncles, thieving aunts, whorish cousins, and I realize how blessed I am to have a fairly decent group of people to call my family and friends. I can’t imagine what I’d be doing right now without my friends. Because honestly, I’d probably be on the first thing smoking back to Kentucky and that’s NOT where I want to be on a permanent basis.
2.) I’m thankful for God. While I might not be the most religious person in the world, and I don’t always do what the Bible says I’m supposed to do, I am thankful for God’s mercy on me through all my mistakes and bad choices. Some people call it luck, some call it karma, I call it grace.
3.) My job… While this may seem stupid, I am very thankful for my job. Yes, it sucks more than anything has ever sucked before, but it also lets me pay those little things that come to my mailbox, yeah bills. LOL I was unemployed for a period of time, and not being able to pay my bills and do the things that I enjoy doing really took a toll on my mental status. Another thing about my job is that it has given me my best friends here in Bham. Roach, Matt, Brandie, Chris, Dana, etc… I met all these folks here at my job.
4.) I’m thankful for my temperment. I’m pretty laid back. I don’t do anything too hastily. I think about it, and I figure out what my best option may be. With my ex-wife, if I had a short temper, she’d be in bad shape. Because I would have laid the wood to her, and I don’t mean sexually (i don’t even wanna think about that). I’d also be in jail, because of it. I’d also be unemployed, because there’s no way in hell I would put up with the ignorance that I deal with daily, speaking to customers on the phone. I probably wouldn’t have lasted a week.
5.) My writing is another thing I’m thankful for. It’s gotten me a few extra dollars on many occasions, just when I needed it. And God knows, the ecomony is in bad shape. It’s given me the opportunity to partially live a dream. I get to be around some of the best athletes and coaches in the country. I get to interview them and write about them all for pleasure and pay. Being able to do that is a blessing and not everybody gets that opportunity.
June 26, 2008 at 3:03 pm
at 12:59 pacific standard time I am thankful for, to varying degrees, the following:
- clove cigarettes. I haven’t smoked in years, this is my second in days.
- Ben Folds. Grateful he wrote a song about abortion, sad he set the bar so high.
- lax work standards. I will have a beer with my clove cigarette. I am on my lunch break.
- cellular phones. They keep me in touch with the people I love, and make me shake in frustration when I can’t get a hold of someone.
- adulthood. Such a strong foe. It tries to break me, I may break it, it may get the best of me yet.
June 26, 2008 at 5:52 pm
1. Life. Last week with the passing of one of my former classmates, I am reminded of how blessed I really am just to be here. It was one of those situations, where looking back on it i realize it really could have been me.
2. Laughter. I laugh at just about everything, no matter what happens I can find the humor in the situation in order to get through it.
3. Experience. While I may not have been a fan of the trials and tribulations of my life, I do not regret them. I know that the sum of my experiences, make up the whole being I am today, and I would not change that for anything.
4. Good Friends. I really appreciate my good friends, that are there through it all. I have gone through a lot at an early age and learned to be careful who I refer to as friend.
5. Wisdom. I am greatful to have the wisdom to make informed decisions. Wisdom allows me to see how my behavior impacts other people.
June 26, 2008 at 8:17 pm
This will be amazingly difficult because I am truly grateful for a lot of things, materialistic and non, so here goes my soon to be uncertain and delusional list of choices…..
1. Love-no you moron, not the “gross over-the-top hold my hand and share endless juvenile affection” kind….Real love. That covers the wide
range of family, friends and lovers. It is the heartbeat and heartbreak of humanity. Without it we would be selfish and callous, observant of only our own personal goals and as emotionally transparent as your first girlfriend was in the 5th grade. It is what constitutes our daily lives and makes us keep going, limitless and amazingly resilient when we think we can’t be. Those that find true love and have it returned by those around them can agree that without it we are empty shells, self promoting and get lost in a meaningless existence.
2.”misused quotation marks”-this is an “everyday” pleasure for me….I have found that 90 % of this country shouldn’t have passed the 4th grade!!!
3.ART- It is the blood in my veins. It regulates,displays and creates emotion. Art can tell a story, describe a feeling, influence a generation, start a revolution, or it can simply just be. There is nothing more powerful than a brush and canvas…it has been around since the beginning of civilization, helping those poor Neanderthals get a point across….all the way through kings, showing secret ideas of the state, never resting in the minds of its creators, allowing us to unfold all that is hidden within and around us.
4.clothes-after all….nobody wants to see you naked….
5.music-see # 3
June 27, 2008 at 10:25 am
Well, like everyone else, it was difficult to narrow this down to 5, but here goes.
1. God is at the top of my list. While that may seem like a trite and overused reply (think of all the entertainers who acknowledge God, but don’t ever give him a 2nd thought in their daily lives), it’s definitely true in my life. I don’t always live like I should, He knows, but He’s always there waiting on me. The past few years our family has faced a lot of struggles – my dad was hit by a drunk driver and almost lost his life because of it. My grandmother has been fighting cancer for over 2 years, but she is still with us and fighting. My grandfather died in December. My aunt just had a brain tumor removed (we don’t know yet if it’s benign or malignant) – if we didn’t have God to rely on for strength and peace through this, we wouldn’t have made it.
2. My family – another common reply, but so true. I’ve been blessed with parents who are still married after 30 years, and more in love than when they got married. They have been wonderful examples to me over my lifetime. I have a wonderful younger brother and a new sister-in-law that I’m very close to, and love to spend time with. I’ve also been very lucky to have all 4 of my grandparents in my life, up until last December. They have all been a major part of my life growing up, and I’m so thankful for all the memories with all of them. I have a number of aunts, uncles, and cousins, on both sides of the family, that I am close to, and love to spend time with. I know when anything bad or good happens, they will all be there, no matter what.
3. Friends – I have been blessed with wonderful friends in my lifetime. From elementary school on through high school and college, I’ve made lasting friends, who would do anything for me, and the feeling is mutual. There are also those friends who are family by choice, who are such a major part of my life, I would be devastated if I lost them. And on a lighter note, my girlfriends, who let me know if those shoes don’t work with that outfit, or that purse with those shoes. Thanks, ladies!
4. Time – After almost 28 years on this earth, I’m very grateful for the time I’ve had so far, to develop relationships and discover new things. And while I still don’t know what I want to do with my life, I’m so thankful that I have time to figure it out. I have time to spend with my family and friends, I have time to travel, which I love, and I have time to discover new things that make my life full and rich.
5. Education – Wow, I didn’t think growing up that I would be thankful for this, because I really hated school, but I’m thankful that my parents were able to afford to send me to college. A lot of people aren’t encouraged to even finish high school, much less college, and you just miss out on so much that we take for granted. Of course, I made lifelong friends at Samford, and had non-educational experiences that I wouldn’t trade for anything, but in the midst of my social life, I did learn a few things in college. My eyes were opened to new cultures and groups of people that make our world the way it is – how boring would life be if we were all alike? I have a new understanding of the way our government works – and while we don’t all agree on how things should be done in this country, I agree with Roach that this is the best place to live, and we certainly take our freedom for granted. The best thing about college, was learning how to interact with all the different types of people. I was kind of sheltered growing up, and while Samford is a small, southern, baptist school, we had so many different races, and religions that I knew nothing about. It’s changed my view of the world to a more informed one, and for that, I am eternally thankful.
June 27, 2008 at 12:03 pm
1. My children. First, I feel blessed to even be able to have kids without any problems. I’m thankful to know the unconditional love that only a parent can feel for their child, to watch them learn and grow and experience life, and to share it all with the only other person who knows exactly what that’s like, my husband.
2. My best friend Laura. We met on the first day of 7th grade and have remained as close as sisters through both time and distance. I named my daughter after her in honor of our lifelong friendship.
3. My job. Or maybe I should say my boss, because she is the main reason my job is so great. I’m thankful to have a job that pays the bills and insurance, but what has kept me here for 6 years are the extras. My boss is very laid-back, hands off, and doesn’t care if I arrive late, leave early or take a long lunch break as long as I get my work done. Also, there is enough down time to catch up on personal email, blogs, chatting with friends, and balancing my checkbook. (What? I’m an accountant!)
4. Health. Both for me and my family. I thank God every day for good health, from your run-of-the-mill cold to something more serious.
5. Summer. Right now, I’m so thankful that it is blazing hot outside and the sun doesn’t set until the kids’ bedtime. I could live in this climate all year. Who needs the other three seasons?
June 27, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Roach,
I got your e-mail yesterday, I didn’t have time to write my list 5 then but I did have time enough to decide that it was a wonderful idea and one I truly wanted to be a part of. I am honored to be someone you chose to include. Best luck with this book!
I want to start first by addressing your first list5. I am thankful for you and for this concept and for this question.
It is not often enough that we are asked such a simple question that can stop you in your tracks and make you recognize life’s valuable gifts. At first it may be hard to think of five things you are thankful or grateful for, then they start to stream in and narrowing it down to just five seems almost impossible. I think that in general human beings don’t spend enough time thanking, appreciating, being humbled by life. Instead we spend our time grieving, worrying, complaining, wishing for those things we don’t have or have lost or lust for.
A little story for you…Back in Kansas I was a member of 9th street Baptist church. I was not raised Baptist, and became one on my own. It happened like this, my buddy Brian knew that I had been searching for a congregation that was preaching something I could believe in. After many discouraging sermons, and disheartening Sunday mornings I had almost giving up. He asked me if I wanted to go to church with him one Sunday, which was shocking to me because Brian was atheist. When I asked him what the hell was he going to church for he said, “the music!” Ninth street Baptist is a black Baptist church, and they had the most incredible gospel choir, the kind that hits your soul, moves you to laugh and smile without reserve, or pulls you to the freedom of crying when you’ve been holding it in for weeks. I still am not exactly certain all the logistics of religion and god, but I do know that in that music is god and power and love and it is strong enough to make an atheist sit through sermons on a doctrine they don’t believe in.
So I went and I returned again the next Sunday and again and again and eventually become one of 5 white members (at that time) of the congregation and the reason for this was because of exactly what you have stirred up in me today with your list5 question. The concept of being thankful.
I was so tired of leaving churches feeling worse than when I walked in that morning, feeling guilty, undeserving, and fearful. It seems that there is an approach to Christianity that scares people into following god out of fear of not, it like being in an abusive relationship “I want to leave him but I’m afraid what he will do to me if I go”. I can’t stand that bullying hellfire and damnation give us your lunch money shit. 9th street taught me to be a Christian out of love and appreciation for god. Being so filled with gratitude and having someone to thank for it.
From the minute church started and the organ started playing, Pastor Brown would begin pointing out “aren’t you grateful you woke up this morning! And you turned and stood up out of bed and your legs worked! And the sun was shining! And you got here safely! Praise Jesus!” Every small miracle that so often goes overlooked was reason for celebration.
By the time I left 2 hours later, I was a better person filled with love and light and ready to face the world a new. I miss 9th street Baptist, and I miss taking time, even just once every week, to seriously contemplate the things I’m thankful for.
1. So the first thing I can tell you I’m thankful for is this question. Thank you Roach.
2. I am of course thankful for friendship. For the friendships based on an interaction that only lasted minutes but left you e-mailing for months to follow, to roommates and boyfriends you spent every minute for years with, for friends so close you can walk to there house and friendships that stretch over oceans. For the love and admiration that is exchanged among friends. For people to laugh so hard with you have to hold your stomach, and people you can cry on leaving snot trails on their shoulder. For friends to vent to when your pissed at other friends. For friends you can fart in front of. And friends you can get naked with and do cannon balls into pools you broke into at three in the morning. For friends that will never judge you. And the kind of friends that make you excited to be alive in the world. I am most definitely grateful for friendships.
3. I am thankful for the funny ways the universe has of giving you exactly what you need. I don’t believe in coincidence, I believe that every person I have ever met was for a reason, whether they were only in my life to prove the importance of another person to me, or to make me laugh when I needed a good one, or to suggest a book that then I used in a conversation that ended up landing me the job of my dreams. It’s all connected. And the mystery of how it all works never ceases to be exciting to me. Recently the universe has given me the opportunity to go to grad school for free, just when I thought I wasn’t gonna go to grad school at all. I am very grateful for this, but this seems to be just another amazing surprise the universe has sprung on me when I didn’t know what the plan was. I believe that my life will continue to be packed full of lifes little surprises, and I’m totally stoked about it.
4. I am thankful for art. For visual arts, music, film and literature. For anything that was created by the hands of another human being that has the beauty or intensity to produce an emotional reaction. It doesn’t even have to be that powerful; sometimes it’s the escape of intensity that we seek, numbing, soothing, sweet distraction. I am thankful for the things that entertain us.
5. I am thankful for humility. Strangely enough I’m grateful for the pain, the embarrassment, the mistakes. The big slices of humble pie I have been served throughout my life. It’s those situation that have made me stronger. It’s these things that keep me in check, that keep all of us from letting our egos blow through the roof. The painful moments that makes me recognize the value of things that are genuine and beautiful and how to appreciate them before they are gone. Without this shit we’d all be a bunch of self absorbed douchbags without appreciation or most importantly senses of humor.
June 27, 2008 at 4:24 pm
1. My child has graduated from college! Never mind that she’s currently a bartender, she’s working and paying her own bills! Mom has one job now with normal hours most of the time!
2. Involves the kid too…sorry. I’m thankful this 10 pound pain in the ___ burst into my world. She makes my day better just by calling me, even if it’s to tell me she’s dying. Yes, Jill is either 100 miles above the clouds or dying…there’s no in between with my child.
3. I don’t know exactly how to word this one. My dad passed away a few years back and I took care of him while he was leaving us. I was always been extremely close to him and it was the hardest time in my life for him to leave my life. I was always a “daddy’s girl” and wasn’t that close to my mother. When I visited home, I was constantly with him. Once he was gone, I found myself feeding/paying bills/checking prescriptions/making sure my mom was OK and found out what a great person she was. I believe everything happens for a reason, and I guess this was it. Take it from an old person…don’t play favorites with your parents. You never know when you won’t have one of them around anymore to fuss with.
4. I’m thankful to have experienced my one great love. It was a roller coaster ride at the end, but I can’t imagine not experiencing the ride. Plus it allowed me to have #1 & 2 that I’m grateful for
5. Books on tape – silly I know, but when you travel 2 hours back and forth to work it makes time go much faster. No road rage with me as long as I have a good book popped in!
June 27, 2008 at 8:47 pm
1. The obvious choice family – they are always there for me sometimes too much so but I know that I can count on them when I need something. I take them for granted often and wish I was better at not doing that. We have our issues occasionally but what family doesn’t.
2. Friends – another obvious one but also the people that are always there for me. I have a number of good friends that are willing to tell me when I am doing something stupid and to stop it. You know that V8 commercial where they smack the guy upside the head for not eating vegetables? Good friends will smack you upside the head when you need it.
3. Music – as CSS says, my music is where I’d like you to touch. I always have a song in my head and it can change at any given moment when someone says something that triggers a different song. Live music is one of the best inventions ever and there is little that can compare to the feel of the bass in your chest at a live show. Songwriters are usually so much better at explaining my emotions than I am. It’s one of those art forms that lets you read into it what you need to. I don’t think I could live without music.
4. Computers – I don’t know how I survived before they existed. Not well obviously! The ease of communication is my favorite aspect. For SOME of my friends it’s the only way I get to communicate with them! The amount of information that you can have at the touch of a button is great. And it allows for cyberstalking which is even better!
5. Art – I guess music would fall into this category but I am making it a separate entry so just deal with it. Although my art major did not end up providing me with my ultimate career I still love it and miss creating every single day. I will never get over the feeling of seeing a piece of art that you have studied for years in person. There are pieces of art that can bring me to tears, ones that make me laugh, ones that make me angry and ones that just make me think.
June 27, 2008 at 10:42 pm
1. Family. I have an awesome set of crazy parents that I adore. They’ve always supported whatever I decided to do, even if they gave me reasons not to do it. My dad only says “I told you so” in a kind, lovingly way. (And if any of you know my dad, you know I’m full of shit when I say that. But he does keep me in line when I need a good “talking to”.) My brother and I are total opposites, but he has an intellect and creativity that is unparallel and inspiring.
2. Friends. Moving 4 hours away from the place where your support system resides will show you who you can count on. I have some of the most amazing friends. They are extremely patient and forgiving when I sometimes go days without returning their calls or emails. They listen when I bitch about being poor or when I’m excited about my latest and unexpected good grade. Basically, they’re some of the best people on the planet. And I’ve met most of the people on the planet. (Props to you if you know what movie the last line is from.)
3. Music. I am not the greatest at expressing myself. I’m sure some of you out there reading are shocked. Somewhere in learning my special counseling listening skills, I neglected to learn the part about talking about how I feel. So I try to use lyrics from music, and sometimes it works.
4. My own Guardian Angel. I believe I have an angel watching over me, guiding me. Yeah, it sounds kooky, but there’s been some amazing coincidences in my life that really just cannot be explained in any other way.
5. Guts. Someone told me last summer that they admired me for leaving my easy, great-paying job to return to graduate school for my Ph.D. It took guts to leave a job that was paying for anything I wanted to buy (including a nice car and house) and move 4 hours away to make less than $6,000 a year while being someone else’s bitch for four years…I mean being a graduate student. I never realized how brave people were when they struck out on their own and experienced life. So I’m thankful that I had guts when I made the decision to return to school. Missing the paycheck is worth the experiences I have had and will have in the next couple of years.
June 30, 2008 at 12:09 am
Looking at the answers already given I’d have to agree with pretty much every choice and it’s a given that family, friends, etc. are the top choices. But outside of family, friends, their health, and my child there are some other big ones for me. Also, I apologize if during this entry or in any future ones if there are a few “d”s missing. My keyboard’s “d” is a little tricky. These are in no particular order.
1. Stupid People – I know. This is a little mean but they make me smile. Fortunately for me I’ve had the opportunity to come into contact with quite a few in my life. These interactions have made me appreciate what I have and what I hope to achieve. In order not to sound like an asshole or a pretentious s.o.b. let me explain. I don’t label one as “stupid” based on their IQ, lack of education, etc. I understand that not every person has been given the same opportunities that I have and I should be thankful for this. This is the label used for those that know better or have the opportunity to further their lot in life and choose not to for some dumbass reason.
This is the kid in high school that did not want to study or pay attention because no one in their family had strived to do anything so why should they. This person brings a small little smile to my face.
It is also the parent that would rather spend time making excuse for their child or place blame on others for their child’s lack of success than actually parent and have high expectations for their own offspring. Low expectations and global blame make me silently chuckle because the parents actually feel they are doing what it right.
This is the person that goes on a primetime game show and admits to having an affair, not loving their spouse, and then loses it all because they lie on a question regarding whether or not they are a good person. Not that I’m Dr. Drew, but if you’ve cheated on your spouse and still love your ex you are probably not in the running for “Wife of the Year” you big DA. These people bring a smile to my face and are the only reason to watch reality TV. Everyone likes a train wreck and when you give stupid a chance to win quick money it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Finally, this is the hypocrit that you see in all walks of life that is a do as I say not as I do person. It’s the proclaimed devout Christian that hates homosexuals, will not dance because it is of the devil, and is saddened that Jews had to suffer at the hands of the Germans only to end up in Hell because their people killed Jesus. It makes me laugh because they don’t realize how stupid they truly are and sound.
2. Breasts – Bypassing the obvious that they are simply very pleasing to the eye and touch. These worderful creations give life to millions world wide as a source of nourishment. I am by no means a lactation Nazi and do not feel that it is right for everyone and every situation. We are lucky in this country and in the developed coutries to have the option of nutritionally sound alternatives. For goodnes sake, we can send an astronaut to space, we’ve mapped the human genome, and we now have the technology to communicate with any one in the world via the internet. La Lecheists of the developed world give up the fight. We can let our children take formula, know they are getting their nutritional needs met, and not feel guilty.
However, back to being thankful. There are some areas of our country and in the world where formula is not a financially feasible or available option. And in this instance a mother’s body can actually create the food and nourishment necessary to keep her children alive. As a man I must admit that I am in awe of this capability of the female human body.
3. Technoloy – It has been amazing in the past ten or so years to watch the exposion of the internet, cell phones, satellite TV, robotic & laser surgery, etc. I am very thankful that I can pretty much locate anyone I would like to at any time using today’s technology (as long as they pay their bill).
4. Credit – Good credit. Bad credit. It really doesn’t matter. It’s hard to know if this one is good or bad but I know that I’m thankfull for it. Without credit and loans there would have been no college, no car, no wonderful computer in front of me, and today no groceries from Wal Mart. Too many people get in trouble with credit but it is amazing how in the past 25-30 years the availability to credit has increased and how many people have experienced less without it. It has become a necessary evil, so I am thankful.
5. Cameras – How else can we relive the most pertinent moments of our life and the world? Without cameras I would not know what my granmother looked like as she died when I was 6 months old. There’s your wedding day, graduation, the birth of a child, Muhammad Ali hovering over his prey, Joe Namath holding one finger in the air, the suffering of the concentration camps, man walking on the moon, etc. Without pictures and cameras those events would be lost for future generations.
July 4, 2008 at 4:30 am
1. family. i’m almost guilty lumping all of them together by one generic word, but to narrow this list to five, i must. my husband taught me to love wholly. my brothers taught me to enjoy life and its diversities (and that toilet humor is ALWAYS funny). my mother taught me to respect life and seek the best for myself (relationships, religion, and otherwise). my daughter teaches me to re-examine life and delight in the simplicities. all of them have taught me that as long as i have one of them, i’ll be ok.
2. faith. my belief in God is unwaivering. scientific theory and fact cannot uproot what my heart knows. i believe in a fusion of these ideas, but always with God as the center and creator.
3. friends. face it. they put up with your bull shit for no good reason. you’re not bound to them by marriage or family ties- they hang around out of sheer stupidity. laughter, anger, jealousy, sadness- count yourself lucky if you can find one person who will put up with your moodswings. i do- i’ve conned several amazing people into thinking i’m fun to be around.
4. food. i love to eat- little debbie cakes, fresh fruit and vegetables, sushi, it really doesn’t matter. if it tastes good- i’ll eat it and enjoy it. plus, my body has to eat! what a great excuse, right?
5. generosity. my family has benefited from the kindness and sellflessness of others, but more than that, it makes me happy to see people genuinely care for each other. my life is full of family and friends who honestly care for the basic needs of the people around them, and even people they don’t personally know. it’s a wonderful life.