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11-27-03 // 12.02 pm "I like to eat turkey in a big brown shoe" NP: the Lions / Packers game on TV in the background. Shame that the Lions haven't been good in my lifetime, as their traditional Thanksgiving game is almost always a blowout. And these days, there's not even Barry Sanders to watch. But oh well. Ah, Thanksgiving. To an outsider, it must seem like such a stereotypical American holiday. I mean, we are portrayed as a nation of fat, lazy, arrogant people, and here we have a day of institutionalized gluttony and sloth, combined with cultural insensitivity. I mean, the whole point of the day's activities is to eat a load of turkey and extras, and then to lay around watching football and playing games. And of course, we were always taught as kids the "story of Thanksgiving", how the Native Americans helped the settlers through a brutal winter, and how the settlers were thankful and grateful to the Natives for their show of generosity. While this is a great story, this nation's track record with all things Native American leaves a lot to be desired and runs in opposition to that idealized version of cooperation. But in any case, I usually ignore the hypocrisy of the day because to me Thanksgiving actually means a time for reflection, togetherness, appreciation and giving thanks. I'm thankful for Erin, for this apartment keeping me warm, for a job that pays the bills and doesn't crush my body or my soul, for my family always being there for me, for my friends who not only put up with me but embrace me. I'm thankful for being alive, for my relatively good health, and for about a million little things that I probably document to death here anyway. So yes, today I will indeed eat shameful amounts of turkey and trimmings, I will sit on the couch and watch football, but I will also spend time with my family, with Erin and her family, and I will be truly, honestly thankful, because deep down, I know I'm one damn lucky man.
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