Under normal circumstances, I'm prone to churlishly refer to the impending holiday as Angstgiving, and issue some emphatic advisory to steer well clear of any divisive political topics `round the dinner table, if at all possible. This is still prudent advice, although I believe even the most strident Republicans in my family are somewhat at a loss, these days, to make sense of characters like Donald Trump and Ben Carson. In any case, I’ll be keeping my frequently pointed opinions to myself over the next couple of days as best I can. No easy feat, that.
The Pope made a rather ominous and candid declaration recently about the inherent hollowness of celebrating Christmas while the world is plagued by war and bloodshed. Ringing in Thanksgiving seems similarly cynical in the wake of everything that’s been going on. By the same token, perhaps we should embrace this opportunity to express thanks for our own good fortune and the continued safety of our loved ones in these troubled times, keeping in mind that not everyone has been so blessed.
On a purely personal level, having finally landed a job (which I start the Monday following Thanksgiving), I do indeed have a great deal to be thankful for. Having been surrounded by a phalanx of friends and family, I managed to make it through the last sixteen plus months of anguish and turmoil. I am feeling incredibly grateful as I start this next chapter.
I’m also thankful for all the well-wishes and continued support I’ve found here on Flaming Pablum. Thank you for reading and sticking with this silly thing. We’ll see where it goes from here.
Be good to each other. Be safe, hopeful and, yes, thankful.
And for those who might not get the joke of the picture above (purloined from the Facebook page of storied New York City punk rocker George Tabb), it's time to school thyselves….
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