More thoughts on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the most Norman Rockwell of American Holidays. It’s been engraved in our souls to see Grandpa and Grandma standing over a long dining room table that has been delicately decorated with various autumn themed wreaths and cornucopias. Grandma and Grandpa smile in their embrace as they look down the table and see their successive generations gorging themselves on turkey, potatoes, cranberries, squash, beans, yams, and the occasional piece of pie. There is a warmth that fills the heart and head when you think of this happy scene and you just can’t help but feel profoundly bored to death.

I kid, I kid. Thanksgiving is a great holiday because there’s no gift giving or buying involved, just a crap load of cooking. I’m a male member of my family so my cooking is limited to staying the hell out of the kitchen. I know I can only be a hindrance to the magic that is taking place in there. Although, the majority of my family is Irish so I’m not sure what kitchen magic I’m referring to. I suppose there’d have to be a Leprechaun in the kitchen, crapping out golden turkey’s for there to be actual magic in there.

I do enjoy Thanksgiving however. I do like sitting around the table for a little while listening and talking with family and friends. It’s a nice way to get back to the things that matter, like family. Most of us rush through our lives, trying to take care of every little detail, that we just don’t have the opportunity to sit across from each other and watch each other chew.

The thing that I don’t like too much about Thanksgiving however is the threat of that classic family argument. Ah, nothing truly says the Holidays like pent up frustration about something that happened 25 years ago rearing its ugly head after that fifth glass of red wine.  Is it really Thanksgiving without some family member bursting into tears and doing that awful cry-talking thing? I should say not.

We have a lot of things to be thankful for this year and we’d be decent Americans if we really remembered just how moderately good we have it. There are too many Americans out there that will be having a tough time being thankful for anything this year. It’s important that we try to remember them as we stuff our faces and figure out which football team to half-ass root for. (I’m considering the Lions)

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everybody!