Thankful

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. It is a time to be aware and give thanks for all you have and for those with whom you are able to share your reality. Sadly, the masses have now become accustomed to it being a time to start bargain shopping for Christmas. A holiday which should be a very beautiful moment to spend with family of birth and choosing and friends both old and new has been turned into a footnote for another holiday whose true spirit has been forgotten. I hate the mass marketing of manufactured happiness. I hate that Thanksgiving (even Christmas for that matter) started showing up before Halloween even arrived. I hate that the simple idea of giving thanks has been turned int Grey Thursday.

There is plenty of time for each holiday on the calendar. Traditionally Black Friday was the start of Christmas frenzy in America. With the onset of the internet and more businesses trying to get your butts in the stores no longer is Friday the best day to start. Currently the employees of various places will be striking to show their disgust at poor working conditions which include working on Thanksgiving. Several other places now have extended hours on Thanksgiving instead  of being able to spend time with family. Last year a woman pepper sprayed a crowd in order to get the last item of the big deal sale. People have been stealing, maiming and out right intentionally injuring others in order to be the first in line or with the last item of the sale. America is so obsessed with "stuff" that we have lost sight of the reality of life.

What happened to being thankful? What happened to family dinners? What happened to helping those in need? What happened to spending time with those you love? What happened to common decency? What happened to morals and values? What happened to being thankful for what you have and appreciative of what you get? What happened to feeling good at a job well done? What happened to hard work being it's own reward? What happened? I mean really, what happened?

I am thankful that I have enough common sense to know better. I am thankful for all the wonderfully amazing individuals in my life who have helped in bad times and good. I am thankful to be employed. I am thankful for family far and near. I am thankful for budding romance. I am thankful for a roof over my head, clothes to wear and food to eat. I am thankful for my simple life which I know is more extravagant than those suffering elsewhere in the world but not as fancy as those who need too much and spend unnecessarily here. I am thankful for a mind that still works, limbs which may creek but still keep me on my feet and eye sight that isn't weak. I am thankful. I hope you enjoy this Thanksgiving.

Time Keeps On Slipping Into The Future

It's been a moment since my last Madnaloy Moment. IT made me realize how time quickly passes and how we get caught up in our various realities. Time is of the essence. Time marches on. Time stands still for no one. Our society has many idiomatic expressions in regards to time. We feel the pressure of not enough time. We hate when we run out of time and we are always asking for more time when we are enjoying an event and time passes by too quickly. I have a feeling that if we as an entire country approached time differently then we wouldn't feel as if we were losing so much of it.

 In Europe I have experienced the magic of the siesta, shops shutting down with signs which read "Back in an hour" yet no departing time mentioned. I have encountered waiters that want nothing more to do with you once they have delivered your food and been assured you have all you need. The beauty of being left alone to enjoy and savor your meal instead of overly checked on and quickly shooed away is an amazing dining experience. Vacations are encouraged, bonding with your baby expected and fully enjoying life is the norm.

This weekend we "fell backwards" in order to add some more daylight to our day. This also gave us an extra hour with which to enjoy our day. Our internal clocks woke us up at normal time but it was actually an hour earlier. If you are like me, every hour makes a major difference. I am most decidedly NOT a morning person so this extra boost to the day came in handy. I was extremely productive, went to bed at normal time which was now early and got up well rested this morning. Unfortunately that temporary boost fades. We adjust and our extra hour goes away.

Society plays with time constantly but not always wisely. Why do we still "spring forward/fall backward"? We no longer farm so for us city slickers it's just more light at different times of the year. The studies on how much energy it actually saves are dubious. It used to be earlier in the year that we did this (March and October) but since 2007 the government determined a new time period (April and November). If the government can just randomly decide to move it, how beneficial to society as a whole is it truly? If you are going to play with time then lengthen vacations and extend grace periods for child care. Create better working hours and balance them with living life. We can decide. We've got the time.