Giving Thanks 2005

So, Turkey Day is upon us again, and while we’re scurrying around to prepare next week’s leftovers, let’s not forget the spirit of the holiday. Thanksgiving is more than the bird and the beer, the football and the family. Take a moment while the rolls are in the oven, or while Mariah or Sheryl Crow are performing at halftime, to reflect on the things for which you are thankful.

Each Thanksgiving, as the turkey thaws and the relatives arrive, I like to prepare a list of these things. I encourage you to do the same.

· I am thankful that David Letterman and Oprah Winfrey have squashed their beef, and that they left Dr. Phil out of it. Oprah will appear on The Late Show on December 1st, her first trip to the Ed Sullivan Theater since Letterman took his show to CBS more than 12 years ago. It’s just sad that Oprah’s appearance will come one day too late to help Dave in the November sweeps.

· I am grateful that my brand new computer has yet to meet my brand new Neil Diamond CD. Sony/BMG has recalled nearly five million copy-protected CDs, more than two million of which are already in the hands of consumers, of which I am one. The included XCP software, which limits copying, also leaves the user’s computer susceptible to viruses. My computer may be safe, but the world’s second-largest record group may be bankrupted by the impending lawsuits.

· This week, Lionel Richie attributed his daughter Nicole’s recent weight loss to the stress of her expanding career. No, really. So I suppose I’m thankful that I don’t have Nicole Richie’s expanding career.

· The rumors have taken flight around Simon Cowell’s return for the fifth season of American Idol, and if Cowell sits next season out, I’ll be grateful. I don’t have anything against Simon; in fact, I appreciate his pessimism. But I suspect that a season without Simon would be Idol’s last, and that’s something to be thankful for.

· Then there are the little things. I’m thankful, though I’m not sure why, that Martha Stewart is out of prison in time for Thanksgiving. I’m grateful that Jessica Simpson temporarily put down the microphone long enough to play Daisy Duke. I haven’t had a chance to see the new Dukes of Hazzard movie, and for that I’m also thankful.

· On a more serious note, I think we should give thanks to our troops, fighting for our freedom in the Middle East. They’re putting their lives on the line, spending the season away from their families so that we can be with ours, and for that I’m appreciative.

I am also thankful for my family, my friends, and a job that I love. I’m thankful for the opportunities that I have been given, and for my health. This Thanksgiving weekend, set aside a moment or two to genuinely give thanks for the things that you may take for granted the year through. We really do have a lot the be thankful for.

-From Pulse
November 24, 2005