Scott Swanson
Boy, it’s hard to believe that it’s … Thanksgiving.
Already?
But despite the calendar shock, Thanksgiving really sounds good right about now, in more ways than just flavor.
Ever heard that saying, “Quit complaining and count your blessings”?
Certainly, there are more refined ways of saying it, but after the couple of years we’ve had, I think now’s a good time to really focus on being thankful.
Admittedly, COVID has many of us in crustier moods than we were feeling 20 months ago. Personally, I’m sick of being angry, sick of unwonted divisiveness and emotion over things that seem should be less controversial, sick of all the mistrust, etc., etc.
So, what do I have to be thankful for?
Hmmm, well, last time I checked, pretty much all my basics were taken care of: plenty of food, clean drinking and bath water, plenty of clothes for just about every season, heat, a roof over my head.
Shoot, even my dogs have plenty to eat.
I’ve been thinking about this lately because I know people in third-world countries who don’t have these things. They’re intelligent people, but some of them live in societies, under governments, that do not facilitate individual success. They stand in line for hours for the chance – not the certainty – of getting food. Sanitation is touch-and-go. People I know of, who live in one south Asian country that’s in the middle of civil war, literally have to gauge their chances of survival if they leave their residence – or stay in it.
I know people who have been forced to spend months inside their houses or compounds, with only one adult allowed outside to go after groceries once or twice a week, due to – yep, COVID mandates.
Not to sound preachy, but we Americans have a lot to be thankful for.
I’m thankful that, although a lot of feathers have been ruffled by this COVID business, people still are getting along, and they’re starting to get together.
Not to downplay the threat of COVID – quite a number of people I know have come down with it in the last month, some very seriously, but I’m thankful – personally as well as as your newspaper editor, that people are starting to engage with each other again, because to me, isolation has been one of the biggest negatives of the pandemic.
We look back at the Great Depression or the world wars of the last century and see how those experiences affected people. I think many of us are wondering how this will affect us, especially our kids, in the long run.
One positive that I think has come out of this pandemic is that I think we Americans realize that a lot of what we, in general, held dear prior to COVID maybe isn’t really that important.
Studies have shown that Google searches and references on social media using words like “help” and “share” and “sacrifice” went up astronomically following March 13, 2020 – the date President Donald Trump declared COVID-19 a national emergency. So did “sourdough,” “baking bread,” “grow vegetables,” “sewing machine” and “Home Depot,” which probably doesn’t come as a surprise to any of us who’ve tried to buy seeds or lumber.
I know of people who have decided that success at work isn’t as important as making sure their family is in good shape. Well, recognizing that money and stuff doesn’t provide lasting happiness and security is a good step toward thinking about what does, what really matters in life.
While church attendance has taken a hit due to the pandemic rules, according to one survey, reading of the Bible increased, according to some polls (others say the opposite). I’ll just say that if you are looking for a different perspective from the self-serving rat-race, taking a look at the best-selling book of all time can provide that.
Survey respondents have reported that they believe the pandemic’s impact on politics has been almost entirely negative, but I think there is one positive: people are thinking about basics, the things that make us Americans, make our country what it has been for almost 250 years. What does it really mean to be free? How do safety and security balance out with personal liberty? How much power should authorities have to dictate choices relating to personal health? How much authority should government have, period?
Yeah, a lot of those are unsettling questions and I think many of us have experienced consternation over what’s happened in the last 20 months. But some of that may turn out to be healthy. Instead of being like lemmings running over a cliff together, we’re thinking, “Hey, just why do we do it this way? And are we doing it the right way?” Those are healthy considerations in a democratic republic, where we vote in free elections to elect candidates who, hopefully, consistently represent our views and our interests in the halls of government.
I won’t go into detail on all the things I’m thankful for – family (one terrific grandkid and another on the way), faith, church, skilled and dedicated staff members (“you’re only as good as your staff” is not just a platitude), health, etc., etc.
But when I focus on some of these things, I get a lot less stressed by things I can’t control – and I thank God for all of it.