It's the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, a most aptly named day. One day you consume turkey and thank goodness for your blessings. The next you are consumed with throwing your blessings after junk that nobody needs.
Like all things dark and sinister, Black Friday is gradually consuming the very day that makes it possible. The crazy sales that once started at midnight after most folks had slept off the tryptophan now begin when families are saying grace over the steaming turkey. You might not even notice your aunt making quick purchases on her I-Me-Mine Phone over pumpkin pie. You're probably monitoring Amazon yourself.
Before long, the holiday will be renamed Thanks for Giving Your Hard Earned Money Away Day and the buying orgy will run two full days. Folks will kick it off by Skyping with family over turkey pot pies on Wednesday night.
In order to be thankful for things, a person needs to have an appreciation for things. It seems a lot of people don't have much appreciation for anything. So I guess it's not much wonder our day of giving thanks is now completely overshadowed by a day for blind spending.
There are a lot of things I appreciate. I appreciate blue sky, I appreciate clean water. I appreciate good humor and honest assessments. I appreciate anything that makes me go "hmmmmm...I wonder". Let me give you an example.
Did you know Ted Cruz, US Senator who has threatened to shut down the government, block all presidential appointments and hold his breath in the sandbox over Obama's immigration executive order, was born in Canada? Did you know his father was a Cuban refugee? You'd think he'd be more sympathetic to the plight of immigrants, wouldn't you? Well I would.
Did you know Ebola was eradicated from the planet? It must have been, because you haven't heard a word about it since election day, have you? Doesn't that seem odd?
Did you know that you're 9 times more likely to be killed by a police officer than by a terrorist? And if you're of African descent, you're 21 times more likely to be killed by a cop than I am. By my not very good math, that means if you're a black man you're 189 times more likely to be killed by a cop than by a terrorist. Unless you live in Ferguson. Then you're on your own.
Homeland security might save us from the terrorists, but what's going to save us from Homeland Security? That's what I want to know. When cops kill an unarmed person, something is very wrong, not the least of which is incompetent cops. Andy gave Barney a bullet, not a mortar. Killing the populace generally does not fall within the realm of "keep the peace". Does it make you wonder?
So these are some of the kind of things that I appreciate. What makes me thankful is that I still have enough mind left to look at these things and say, "hey, just a minute here." It's not a material thing. You won't find it on sale on Black Friday. Not even with a coupon.