Giving Thanks

America is a beautiful nation that gives you the freedom to sit on your chair, hold the device in your hand, and listen to your yuppie-like and defiantly-critical music.

But lately it has become far too popular to throw stones, and to point to others for blame.

Last week it was President Bush and The War, this week it is Wall Street and The Greed.

The maniacal thing about all of this is that you are happy…for the most part.

You have the stuff you want, a full stomach, a warm bed, a choice of profession.

By any historical standard you are one of the luckiest people ever born on this earth…and yet you defiantly pip-squeak complaints and critiques at every chance.

For this I blame your comfort. A human being needs a certain amount of controversy and challenge in her life. If life is good, where else can we find it but in creating an uproar in the world around us?

Now surely the world is not perfect, and surely mistakes have been made in Washington and on Wall Street that have negative repercussions for many – not you specifically – but many…they could-have-should-have done better! So you say.

I say stop whining.

This week we will stop to *celebrate* with our friends and families at full tables across the country. We will laugh and eat and enjoy moments of the pinnacle of human-living with full stomachs and warm feet.

In the afterglow as you watch the Cowboys on the TV through the one eye-still-open, take a moment to notice.

And say thanks to our country, our leaders, our parents, and our friends.

Happy Thanksgiving my friends. I am grateful for you and this Great Country on this Beautiful Day.

4 thoughts on “Giving Thanks

  1. jane

    and if all those fortunate enough to have the opportunity to speak and be heard stop speaking, who will speak for those who can’t?

    Reply
  2. Dave Post author

    Jane, I think speaking out is important…but there is a difference between constructively thinking of solutions and throwing stones for the sake of complaining. Unfortunately, too many people get trapped in the latter.

    Especially at this time, when most of us are fortunate enough to be with loving families, I think it is important to reflect on all the wonderful stuff that comes with being an American in the 21st century.

    Thanks for your thoughts!

    Reply
  3. Jordan

    Phil Gramm said we had become a nation of whiners and that this was primarily a mental recession back in July. I think that he may have been right in a way–with people complaining all day on the 24 hour news, consumer confidence is bound to go down. I’m not sure what would have happened if the word “recession” hadn’t been pounded into us for the last 10 months or so, but I can’t imagine that consumer confidence wouldn’t be higher if people weren’t on TV all day complaining.

    Reply

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