It's the Day Before Thanksgiving and I'm Already Thanful

I’m thankful for my wife and daughters. I’m thankful for my good health. I’m thankful that I don’t find it necessary to knock on wood when I say or write something about good fortune. I’m also thankful that I don’t believe in other kinds of nonsense like astrology, religion or the trickle-down theory.

I’m thankful that there is strong opposition to Trumpy and his administration of neo-fascists. I’m thankful that so many people see that the emperor has no clothes (though the thought of this would-be emperor naked is frankly sickening).

Although he’s on hiatus until February, I’m thankful for John Oliver and his brilliant HBO program, Last Week Tonight. I’m also thankful for Late Night With Seth Meyers. I’m thankful that Jon Stewart appears on the Daily Show on Mondays. These are important voices in troubled times and the laughter the evoke is truly the best medicine.

I’m thankful that really fine films are still being made. In the last few months I’ve seen some really good ones such as One Battle After Another, Train Dreams, Sentimental Value, Mastermind, It Was Just an Accident, Nouvelle Vague and Blue Moon. Looks like there’s more of high quality to come before the end of the year. Hooray!

I'm also grateful for Turner Classic Movies, the Criterion Channel and all the streaming services that allow me to be able to watch great cinema from the comfort of my home. I'm also delighted to have an extensive DVD collection which includes virtually all of my favorite all-time movies.

I’m thankful for my favorite British football (soccer, to you Yanks) Arsenal and that they are currently top of the table. I’m grateful that I can watch all their matches on the telly here and that I’m going to see them live and in person in May.

I’m thankful that my younger daughter has found love is getting married next week to a very nice chap indeed.

I’m thankful for my gym. I’m constantly annoyed by how much time my fellow patrons spend staring at their phones or — horrors!— talking on them. But they all seem to be good sorts and I’m encouraged that so many people look after their health.

I’m appreciative of my job and the fact that I get to teach such wonderful people from all over the world. It’s truly a privilege to hang with them and I appreciate the many kind words I hear from them about my efforts.

I’m grateful that I can manage to string words together well enough to form coherent sentences, paragraphs and even entire books. I wish I could be thankful that I’ve found a publisher or even a damn agent but perhaps that’s soon to come. Hope is a powerful drug.

I’m thankful that I have this blog to vent, create and share my experience, strength and hope. I’m thankful for anyone who reads this. Both of us.