Thanksgiving- A Day For Gratitude, Turkey, And Vikings Football

And let's not forget pumpkin pie and arguing about politics

With Thanksgiving coming tomorrow (already??), I know a lot of folks are taking stock of the things they’re thankful for. I’m no different in that respect, and I know I have much to be grateful for. This has been a good year for my family and me. Frankly, any year without a COVID-19 lockdown would’ve been good, but as 2022 winds down, life feels especially good. We’re in a good place, and given what the previous two years were like, I’ll take it.

I lost some good friends this year, some that I knew in person, and some that I knew only over the Internet, but I’m grateful to have known all of them. They enriched my life and reminded me of the power of human connection. While they may no longer be among us, they live on in my heart and memory.

After more than a year-and-a-half of trying to grow this site, progress has been slow, but at least it’s on the upswing, little by little. I have a few paid subscriptions, for which I’m thankful, and while I try to figure out ways to increase that number, I continue to plow ahead with my writing. I feel pretty good about most of what I’ve done, but like anything else, it’s a trial-and-error, hit-and-miss process. I know I can write, and I know I’m a good writer, but I never cease to be amazed at the posts that become popular.

Sometimes you just have to throw something out there and be OK with knowing that once you turn it loose, you lose control over it. Strange and wonderful things can happen when you learn to let go.

How do you attract attention in a world where the written world continues to decrease in value? And where our collective attention span shrinks with each passing day? Perhaps I’m still “old school” enough to believe in the power of the written word and think I have something to add to the public discourse.

At least a few people seem to think so, which is gratifying. Someone out there is paying attention, which is essential because every writer wants- nay, needs- an audience. When I started my first blog, The People’s Republic of Seabrook, in 2001, I used to look at my referrer logs in awe. People from all over the world found my blog and stopped to read what I wrote. That was a very humbling realization. It made me want to be a better writer and write about things that matter. Of course, I still devoted much of my efforts to human stupidity, but I thought of my blog as a platform to write about things I cared about.

I still think that way and try to emphasize things that matter to me, including things that impact me directly. For example, I’ve examined my battles with depression and ADD in the hope that those reflections might move someone reading them. I’ve always believed that if I can positively impact one person, then I’ve done a good thing. Of course, I’ll almost certainly never know about that, but sometimes if you put something good out into the universe, good things can happen.

I’m thankful for those of you who’ve taken time to stop by and read my work. Whether you’re a paid or free subscriber or whether you occasionally stop by because you’re curious, I’m glad you’re here. If you like what you read, perhaps you might consider becoming a paid subscriber and maybe even telling a friend or six. Whatever your reason(s) for being here, thank you. You help me understand why I do this (beyond my obsession with the written word). I love being able to communicate with the world in the hope of bringing it closer together.

For now, though, I wish every one of you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving. As we head into this holiday season, I hope you will be surrounded by love, friends, family, and good cheer.

Like almost everyone else, I’ll sleep in, watch soccer and American football, and eat too much tomorrow. But, I’ll be back on Friday. Be good!

And let’s hope Minnesota beats New England tomorrow!!