Just Shear Luck

This Thanksgiving, like most, I tell myself it was just out of shear luck I am placed in this peaceful country. Yet I don't feel that this feeling of luck is enough. After seeing the movie Body of Lies last night, I kept dreaming that I was in hiding to avoid being caught and tortured. I had a gun, it looked like an M16 gun, it was dark, I was hungry, scared and strong.

Maybe it's my mind trying to show me how darn lucky I really am. The thing is, I wish that my gratitude could erase even a small portion of sadness that engulfs so many of us. Now that would be beautiful.

Our new babysitter just recently moved here from England. Thanksgiving does not exist in her country. She asked me last night, "What does Thanksgiving mean?". This is when I should have answered something of value but this what I said, "It's a time to be thankful, eat turkey, pumpkin pie and you get a day off!"

I was lucky to have been raised in a small rural town not having any understanding of war or witnessing extreme poverty. My lack of political interest was because of this huge security that I felt living in this town, province and country.

Sure my political knowledge has increased since I was a kid but it is still weak. Like I don't think I could carry an intelligent conversation with Justin Trudeau or that new Palin chick!

I am lucky for the usual stuff: health, love, roof on my head, peaceful country, blah, blah, blah. But what I really want is to show my appreciation of living this life, so I'll try to be kinder, show less road range, and have a good time....

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.