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Being thankful even in trying times |
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Written by Byron Williams
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Monday, 29 November 2010 |
 Thanksgiving may be our only holiday that does not require a victim for our commemoration -- no one is conquered, subjugated or assassinated.
Thanksgiving is a holiday that is free of violence.
It is, however, accompanied by irony. The day that calls Americans into reflection about the things for which we are truly thankful, lives next door to "Black Friday," the day where materialism and greed have become an equally American phenomenon.
It would stand to reason that the act of Thanksgiving should be practiced continually, but given our society of information overload, 24-hour news cycle and increasingly fast pace, it is understandable that we need at least one day with the sole purpose of giving thanks.
Composing a list of things for which we are thankful is easier some years than it is in others. There are some years where events such as the birth of a child, a marriage or long-term plans blooming into fruition make it easy to cite our thanksgivings.
There are other years where sustained unemployment, the death of a loved-one or the frustrating sting of unfulfilled expectations makes it difficult to be thankful -- or so we think.
There is the possibility that the most challenging years can lead one to be thankful for those things they might otherwise overlook.
As I examine my own reasons for giving thanks this year, it is definitely a more surreal list than in years past.
I am thankful for the lives of Howard Zinn and Ted Sorensen, who both died this year.
Zinn wrote the groundbreaking "A People's History of the United States." Written in 1980, Zinn's masterpiece was a bestseller and continues to be required reading in many AP History programs as well as a number of colleges and universities.
A People's History continues to be a source of inspiration and a potent reminder why conservatives spent more than 25 years attempting to dismiss and ostracize Zinn, who was one or our foremost truth tellers, as merely a left-wing crackpot.
Sorenson's contribution is probably best summed up in the title of his 2008 bestseller: "Counselor: A life at the edge of history."
Sorenson was well-known for his contributions as President John F. Kennedy's speech writer and political alter ego. On a personal note, Sorensen took the time last year to speak with me about my forthcoming book that focuses on the year 1963.
Rochelle Lefkowitz of Pro-Media Communications informed Sorensen of my project and asked if he would consider speaking to me about it, he didn't hesitate. My time with Sorenson momentarily placed me at the edge of history.
I am thankful for the relationships I have fostered via the Internet with readers of this column. Though many see the world differently than I do, we have found a way to share our differences in a mutually respectful manner.
I am also thankful for the outpouring of kind thoughts expressed by the readers of this column upon learning of my father's death. One of the most traumatic experiences of my life was also transformed into one of the most memorable.
But my elation and thanksgiving reached near maximum as my beloved San Francisco Giants removed themselves from the dreaded fraternity of teams that have gone the longest without winning the World Series.
Finally, "World Champion San Francisco Giants" is now part of my lexicon. For more years than I care to remember, I thought my unquestioned allegiance to this franchise that touts some of the greatest players in baseball lore, including the best ever in my opinion, Willie Mays, was a form of masochism.
After the dreaded Game 6 of the 2002 World Series, I was beginning to feel that being a Giants fan was akin to being permanently stuck somewhere between the 8th and 9th circles in Dante's Inferno.
But when Brian Wilson struck out the Texas Ranger's Nelson Cruz, the sun began to shine; I momentarily became that little boy who went to his first Giants game in 1965 with his father. The tears of joy I shed that week were also in memory of my father, who unknowingly taught me my first lesson in perseverance by making me a Giants fan.
Regardless of any specific outcomes beyond our control, the purpose of the day is not to be problem free, just thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving.
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