Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving, and I am thankful for so many things. I cannot begin to name all my blessings, but I am blessed to have family and friends who love me and who I love in return.

There is so much we take for granted nowadays, and today gives us the perfect opportunity to reflect on those things for which we should be thankful. I have just named the most important two, but to be healthy and to live not only in this great country of ours, but to do so at this moment in time when we have so many conveniences and so much technology to make our lives easier makes it that much more of a blessing. Just think what life was like 100 years go, in 1909. Much different from today, you know. Just think how much has happened in the past 100 years. Good and bad, to be sure, but the gains have far outweighed the losses in many areas of our lives.

I won't begin listing all the things that make our lives easier because we all know what they are. No, I just want to sit down and give thanks on this day for everything I have, and try not to dwell on what I don't have. I believe the Lord will take care of my needs, just as He always has.

We who have an abundance of blessings should be mindful of these, and share our good fortune with those who may be hungry or hurting, or lonely on this Thanksgiving day. If all you can do is offer up a prayer of thanksgiving, that will be a great kindness and will help someone who needs a blessing. Prayer is powerful, but prayer works best when it's put into action. Share a smile with someone, share a turkey dinner with a stranger, give what you can on this Thanksgiving day to show how grateful you are for your many blessings. You'll feel better, and so will someone else.

Blessings and best wishes today and always!

Laughter Really Is The Best Medicine

As I was sitting in my jumpseat the other day, I was once again feeling a little lonely and blue. You see, I am a flight attendant--most often working solo--and always on flights with a bunch of strangers. Most folks want nothing more than to sleep and be left alone, so often I am left with nothing to do after I've completed my service. It's especially bothersome on long flights, and even worse at night. It can get pretty boring, let me assure you, and oftentimes it is hard to stay awake, although I always do of course. The point is, my job can get me down if I let it, and that set me to thinking about how seldom I laugh anymore. I mean, I'm talking about real deep-down laughing, the kind you do when you get hysterical at something and can't stop. Real gut-busting, soul-cleansing laughter that feels so good. Oh, how I miss that special kind of joy. I used to laugh like that quite often in the past, and I can't recall when it began to fade, but sitting in my jumpseat on the airplane the other night I thought about it for a long while.

I remembered being in church on many Sundays as a youngster when my brother and I would get tickled about something...usually some person who looked a little odd, or a strange sound, or whatever. It didn't matter what started us off, but one of us would be desperately trying to stifle a laugh, and of course the other would be trying in vain to do the same thing, and we both tried so hard to keep from laughing out loud. To do so would have been terrible, and so embarrassing. We knew we couldn't--and shouldn't--laugh, but we were powerless to help ourselves. It was agonizing, because the harder we tried to stop, the worse it got. My mother--or grandmother--depending on which church we were in, would shoot us a disapproving look or grab us by the hand, and eventually we would calm down, but I remember how much fun it was to laugh like that, even though it was a strain to get through.

I remember going to comedy clubs and seeing certain comedians who could make me double over with laughter, but those talents are getting harder and harder to find. We all take life too seriously these days. I'd like to laugh more in my daily life and hear others laugh more, too.

I am no comedian. I cannot tell a joke to save my life. Heck, I can't even remember one, let alone tell one. No, I have to leave that up to the professionals. But I sure can appreciate a good joke and I have no shyness about expressing my appreciation.

Phyllis Diller used to make me laugh. I had some old comedy records of hers from the sixties. Her dialogue made me roll on the floor, and I was only a teenager. Instead of listening to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, I was in my room laughing over Phyllis Diller monologues or nightclub acts by Moms Mabley or Fannie Flagg. Oh, how I miss those hours I spent soaking in all those jokes and one-liners. And the best part was, I could play them back as often as I wished. I could laugh myself silly if I wanted to.

I've let myself become too serious these days. Maybe it's time for me to break out the old recordings and relive my childhood memories. The only problem is, I have long since gotten rid of those old records. I suppose I can dig up a lot of that material on the Internet, but it won't be quite the same as placing the phonograph needle on the edge of the LP and waiting for the fun to begin. Oh, I'm laughing right now just thinking about it.

I can laugh at anything, at anytime, and for no reason. I've been known to laugh spontaneously in the presence of others, and leave them quite in the dark as to the cause of my outbreak. If someone should ask me, "Dan, what's so funny?", I couldn't even begin to explain it to them, because I might be thinking about just anything. I don't do that kind of thing anymore, and I miss it. I think I'm missing out on a lot of fun in life, and I don't like it.

My sister and her husband are certified Laughter Yoga instructors. They lead workshops and gatherings to promote more laughter in the world. I've resisted attending one of their events, thinking that I didn't need it, but now I am considering jumping right in and laughing along with the best of them. I think it might be an exhilarating experience. They tell me it will work, and that I'll feel so much better afterward. I think it's worth a try. Anything for a laugh, right?

We should all try to loosen up a bit and stop being so serious about everything. Or, be serious if you must, but take the time to unwind and laugh a little on a regular basis. I still believe it's good medicine for what ails you.

Follow-up To Previous Post

I want to add something to my latest post on the early arrival of Christmas. Just in the past four days as I was traveling, I encountered two instances of what I was just blogging about. Mind you, it's the week before Thanksgiving. In the lobby of the Asheville, NC airport, a huge decorated Christmas tree greeted me as I descended the escalator, and I thought, "Oh no, this is just what I was complaining about!"

To further add to my misery, another adorned tree greeted me when I checked into my hotel a few minutes later. It seems I was a little late in getting the news out that--"I don't approve of this. Stop it--stop it now! Don't you see you're cheapening Christmas?"

Of course I would never say this out loud (what good would it do?), but the thoughts were boiling around in my head nonetheless. I guess I'll just have to cease my Scroogy attitude and accept things as they are.

I agree with the "Angry Old Man" from Saturday Night Live, portrayed by Dana Carvey, who said: "I don't like it. I hate it. I hate it," all the while pounding his fists on the desk and looking angrily out at the audience. Yes, sometimes I feel just like that. So there.

With each passing year it seems, Christmas comes earlier and earlier. Not literally, mind you, but with the way our economy and society function, it appears that we just can't wait for the holidays to begin. Sure, it's a happy time for most of us, and a time full of joy and beautiful things, but there is truth to the saying of "having too much of a good thing."

Years ago--and I mean decades, probably--nothing "Christmasy" ever appeared on the scene until after Thanksgiving. No TV ads, no newspaper Christmas flyers, no Santas in store windows, nothing to hint that the holidays were upon us ever showed up on the scene until at least the day after Thanksgiving. That was fine with me and most everyone I knew. Then somewhere along the way, the start date got pushed back earlier and earlier. This year I saw Christmas trees and other holiday decorations for sale even before Halloween. Yes. I am telling the truth. I almost died when I went to buy some Halloween decorations and saw Christmas stuff out for sale. I thought, "Can't we wait at least until after Halloween?" I almost laughed out loud when I thought that, because how ironic that I would be incensed about something like this around Halloween, when in prior years I would have felt this outrage closer to Thanksgiving. Here it was a few days before Halloween and the Santas were already waving and smiling. I should have been in full outrage, but perhaps I have slowly become accustomed to the encroachment of Christmas a little earlier with each passing year.

I suppose I can see it from a business standpoint. God knows retailers are having a hard enough time in this down economy, and they need all the extra time they can squeeze out of the holiday shopping season to make a buck. But I still don't like to rush Christmas. I like to enjoy the segue of Halloween to Thanksgiving, then Thanksgiving to Christmas. I prefer to have clear distinctions between the holidays so that I can appreciate each one on its own.

I saw a cartoon the other day that read: Merry Thanksgivoween! Are we coming to that? Are we combining all the fall and winter holidays into one big event? Wouldn't that be easier? Maybe, but it wouldn't be nearly as much fun. That was an extreme example, of course, but it illustrated how we rush the holidays and hardly have time to catch our collective breaths before getting ready for the next celebration. Whew! I get winded just thinking about it.

We decorate our homes and lawns earlier than ever before, too. Folks may not remember this, but there was a time not so long ago when Christmas trees were not put out and decorated until Christmas Eve. Imagine that! Remember, Christmas doesn't officially begin until Christmas Day, the day designated as Christ's birthday, and then continues for twelve days, according to Christian doctrine and tradition.

But the Christmas season isn't really all about "Christmas," is it? Despite what Linus tried to tell Charlie Brown on a dark and lonely theater stage, Christmas is about a lot more than that. It's about shopping and spending lots of money. It's about rushing around, meeting deadlines and going to fancy, overdone parties. It's all about the lights, and the sparkle of tinsel and shiny ornaments. It's about out-decorating your neighbors and seeing who can win the award for the biggest and brightest--and gaudiest--yard display.

I suppose those things have their places in our Christmas culture. Other countries have their traditions, too, and we might think them a little strange, but it's all what you get used to. It's all what you're comfortable with and what you grew up with. I just happened to grow up at a time when Christmas was Christmas, and it didn't start until after the last plate of turkey and dressing was consumed, and all the pilgrim and pine cone decorations of Thanksgiving had been carefully put away for next year. We relaxed with our tummies full, took naps and woke up ready to make that turkey sandwich with the leftover turkey that always tasted so good between two slices of thin, white bread, slathered with mayonnaise. After we had eaten that last crust of bread and gotten the kitchen all cleaned up and the good china washed and put away, maybe then--maybe--would we start to think about Santa Claus. But let's not think about it just yet, not until after we've slept off that huge meal. Maybe then we can decide what we're going to do with all those lefovers. Turkey soup, anyone?

I have been doing a lot of other things lately besides writing. I am correcting that. For one thing, I have now moved all my Word files to my new laptop, so I now have no good excuse for not writing more.

I have started on my first book. I don't want to divulge any details at this time, since it is so new that there isn't much to tell you. The story is coming out of all the ideas in my mind for the sequel to another story that is about forty years old. It's exciting, and I hope to include a snippet of the narrative soon.

The rains have returned to Georgia with a vengeance. After a prolonged drought, we are finally getting the relief we need. We have endured numerous watering restrictions over the last several years, and our lake levels have fallen drastically. Now, after several consecutive weeks of steady rain, we are finally putting our deficit to rest.

I once heard a weatherman say, "It usually rains after a drought," and boy was he right. Well, I suppose that's how Mother Nature works. She decides when and how much precipitation we are to receive, and whether global warming has anything to do with it—well, who really knows? I'm on the fence with that issue. I think the weather is influenced by countless factors, most of which we don't even understand yet.

Let's enjoy our good fortune while it lasts. The lakes are filling up, the trees and flowers are getting a good drink, and everyone's front lawn sure looks emerald green and healthy right now.

The powers that be have declared the drought in Georgia "officially over." I'm glad to hear it. Let it rain, let it pour.

Today is my birthday. I feel so lucky to have as many friends as I do, and so many of you remembered me today. Thanks to Facebook, it's really easy to keep up with friends and family. I love perusing the pages of my friends and seeing what's up in their lives. It makes me feel more connected somehow.

Cherish your friendships. And be a good friend to yourself.