Thanksgiving Gets No Respect

(For the Trussville Tribune)

I have always thought that Thanksgiving does not get the respect it deserves. Most of us don’t even really know much about the event upon which it is based. We know Christmas is the birth of Jesus. Easter is His resurrection. Memorial Day honors our brave soldiers. The Fourth of July is America’s birthday. Heck, even Labor Day has its distinction, as the sort of unofficial transition from summer to fall.

But Thanksgiving? All we have is some fuzzy recollection of Pilgrims and Native Americans agreeing to a shaky truce and nervously carbo loading on turkey, maize, dressing (or is it stuffing?) and beer. Halloween, which isn’t even a holiday, has passed up Thanksgiving in popularity. People love to engage by decorating their houses and property with ghosts and bats and witches and skeletons and giant spider webs.

Once Halloween has passed, do you see folks putting out large inflatables of Squanto and Myles Standish? Nope. Do they hold off on the Nativity scene and, instead, put up a small recreation of the Mayflower, complete with seasick Quakers onboard? Not a chance. A Plymouth Rock that lights up in the dark and spells out “There’s No Place Like Home” with hidden speakers blaring I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy? Yeah, don’t hold your breath.

No, instead everyone will be in a hurry to put out their Santas and reindeer and penguins and toy soldiers and assorted characters from “Frozen”. Radio stations will start playing full time Christmas music. Burl Ives, Perry Como and Bing Crosby never sang timeless songs about Puritans showing the Native Americans how to make Big Macs and waffle cut french fries.

Oh sure, we’ll be happy to take a few days off, watch football on TV, and attack the stores on Black Friday. But will we take the time to be truly thankful for our blessings? Family, friends and good health of course. But how about some appreciation for things less obvious? I’m thankful that God made weeds green, so when I mow my lawn they look the same as real grass. I’m thankful for left turn arrows on stoplights. I’m thankful I happen to live on the side of the Trussville railroad tracks that is NOT affected when the trains park and sit for hours. I’m thankful for Facebook users who resist the temptation to post pictures of their elaborate lunches, so I can feel better about the Lean Cuisine I’m about to slide into the microwave.

I’m thankful for thoughtful drivers who stop and allow me to actually turn out of my subdivision on to Highway 11. I’m thankful for drivers who won’t stop to let anybody else in after me, because this could take all day and I’m in a hurry. I’m thankful I can watch college football for an entire Saturday morning, afternoon and evening, instead of spending my time doing yardwork, home repair….or acknowledging my family. I’m thankful Nick Saban chooses to continue to coach football instead of acting in TV commercials. I’m thankful to whomever came up with baby pacifiers and swings that rock themselves with the push of a button. No doubt they were invented by a weary grandparent.

So this year, maybe try to hold off on the snow globe with the strobe light, and take a moment to focus on Thanksgiving. After all, the only ones that should not be excited about this holiday are the turkeys.