Thanksgiving - and the unfortunate preparation for 'Black Friday'

As Thanksgiving has finally arrived the early morning of typical weekday is interrupted by a noticable absence of vehicles on the roadways. Most take the holiday break to grab a couple extra hours of sleep, hug their loved ones extra long in the brisk November mornings, before attempting to rouse themselves in bracing for regular holiday fanfare.

For some reason Thanksgiving has managed to maintain most of its original celebratory luster. The theme of giving thanks for a bountiful fall harvest (and surviving the previous year) allows families to celebrate togetherness with a veritable feast of good fortune mostly revolving around an over laden dining room table. And while most celebrate as best they can (relative to personal fortunes, etc) the massive commercialization of the holiday hasn't surpassed mostly cardboard decorations, a small selection of cards (really, what could they say anyway?) and a food centric media (albeit small) blitz. Most of the attention has been paid to how many travelers will be heading off to see far off relatives in the current economic state even with gas at such low prices.

Regardless, now is not the time to lament good fortune. For those of us able to, now is the time to spend a nice meal with friends and family, enjoying each others company (if we can) and overindulging in copious and sometimes painful ways. We must eat our fill and rest up for the next day, tomorrow, the day after Thanksgiving, is when the bulk of commercial marketing ratchets up, the drone of Christmas music from every corner, red and green garish confections hung from every bough and bright 'for sale' signs as far as the eye can see.

I am thankful for my family and friends and extremely thankful that I am given the chance everyday to do something better for something bigger then myself and so with this in mind I will again be partaking in the infamous buy nothing day of November 28th and will do my holiday shopping locally, from local artisans (if I can, it does get hard to do but food is one of my favorite gifts to give and recieve).

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!