The Thanksgiving List
It’s Thanksgiving! It’s one of our nation’s major holidays. I wonder sometimes if we’ve misnamed it. Since visions of roasted turkey and stuffing and potatoes and gravy and cranberries and a big piece of pie come to mind, perhaps we should call it Thankseating. It’s the big meal of the year! We even plan, sometimes, to nap afterwards because we’ve eaten so much. Ah, it’s good to be thankful for what we eat.
Of course, there’s more for which to be thankful. You may have your own list but mine includes family, health, friends, and even this computer on which I’m typing. There is so much that makes life positive and special.
I’ve recently created a personal principle that articulates my personal sentiment of the attitude I raise up above others. It goes like this:
Thanksgiving is a time to stop and take notice of our life and what surrounds us. Awareness is critical to this moment as is the sentiment to be grateful. I realize I need a reminder, a gentle nudge, to be thankful more than I often am.
Thanksgiving and Politics
Thanksgiving this year might be a more difficult season than what you’ve experienced in years past. Our country’s politics are so polarized and strife is very commonplace. Our very national culture seems to teeter above an abyss. What is there to appreciate from a national perspective?
Consider an ominous shadow of these times. It’s called complacency. Complacency is like a cancer that can overtake our lives and stifle future progress. Complacency about national policies and good governorship and civil discourse causes citizens to withdraw—not care. We may leave political engagement to others. We may shy away from conversations or voicing our values. Who cares? Complacency can lead us to some dark places.
However, there is a silver lining behind this dark cloud we should consider. While apathy may paralyze some, many are now awakening to realize they can make a difference. If you’re among those who have not been politically active before, now is a good time to pay attention, join the conversations, and actively make a difference. Though there may be pain, we can be thankful that silent attitudes and perspectives are emerging and now demand our attention. Awareness, remember, is the first step to take to nurture a sense of awe and gratitude. Yes, be thankful even for that!
Thanksgiving For Your Voting Voice
This blog is here to remind you that how we elect our president can be changed. We can change it on a state-by-state basis so every vote matters. Equal Voice Voting can correct what is broken in our election process. It can also make us thankful for the genius of our Founding Fathers as they crafted the Electoral College to honor our republic and our popular voting voice.
During this Thanksgiving, I encourage you to learn more about Equal Voice Voting and the promise it holds for your state and our nation. It is an opportunity to learn more about our elections, discuss the remedy within our reach, and to encourage our legislators to take action. Electing our nation’s president should be a fair process and one that makes every vote count. Equal Voice Voting is one more thing of which we can be grateful for this Thanksgiving season.
May all of you appreciate all the good that surrounds you. May you raise your voice and be counted. And, may you enjoy another piece of pie.