Did We Really Take Time To Be Thankful?

Human nature is often a strange thing.

While some of us took the time this past week to reflect on things we are truly thankful for and appreciative of, it seems some were more concerned with counting down the hours until they begin taking advantage of discounts—whether real or imagined — at any number of shopping locations.

For many, the Thanksgiving meal had barely settled when tires could be heard squealing as the rush to battle the masses was underway. Personally, I’ve never understood the appeal of that.

One of the things that has always made Thanksgiving special, at least to my way of thinking, was the less hectic nature of it. Yes, you made trips to see loved ones, but there was a genuine sense of everything slowing down, at least for a little while.

Now it seems so many people don’t even view Thanksgiving as a time of reflection, rather as a day of shopping, a day of finding a deal, a day of frenzy, a day of craziness. While it is commendable to want to buy gifts for other people (it should be noted that often the gifts are bought for one’s self) does it have to be one minute after Thanksgiving ends or in some cases before the day is even over?

I spent my Thanksgiving Day with my better half and her mom enjoying a nice sit down lunch of the usual Thanksgiving fixings. I was thankful to be invited to their house for the meal and thankful they prepared it as the best I could have mustered would have been something along the lines of what Charlie Brown conjured up on the always popular Peanuts special.

After that we enjoyed a walk, as the weather was warmer than usual for late November.

The following day, with what was a rare day off for me in my professional career, I ventured back to my hometown to visit with a lifelong friend. The weather, while a bit windy, was still nice as we sat outside and caught up as the two of us are now separated by several states.

Still, it was nice to be able to visit, even if we aren’t able to do so as much as we would like. I thought this also was a perfect example of what the Thanksgiving season should be about.

After my Friday morning visit with my friend I ventured to my parents’ house filling them in on the latest at my new job and how my Thanksgiving day had been.

Once I made it back home I decided to visit the state park in the city where I live. The still warmer-than-usual weather for November made for a perfect setting as the fall colors were shining bright. Other people also had the same idea of visiting the park. Some had their children or pets with them, some were there with their spouses, some were walking or running the trails and a few were could be seen fishing.

Saturday and Sunday were filled with the usual activities for more: football and rest as the new work week approached.

There’s no telling how many millions of dollars were spent by shoppers during the Thanksgiving holidays. I realize those businesses are thankful for those dollars. I certainly have nothing against shopping malls. As a child of the 1980s, I have a special place in my memory bank for them and still enjoy going to the ones near where I live today.

But for me, Thanksgiving should be reserved for things a little more important. There’s still plenty of time for shopping. Let’s try to have at least a day where we reflect on the things in our lives, which we are thankful for. One day shouldn’t be too much to ask should it?

Monticello native Chris Bridges is a long-time newspaper columnist. He welcomes feedback from readers of The Monticello News at pchrisbridges@gmail.com.