Thanksgiving with the Dogs, and the National Debt

As unbelievable as it seems to me, Thanksgiving is a little more than a week away. Even though I don’t enjoy the holiday preparation shuffle, especially the effect it has on traffic, I honestly enjoy the lead up to the shared family time as it draws near. I’m excited about the future get-togethers, where we leave most of the world and its problems outside, and selfishly indulge in a time and space created for only our closest family and friends. Those scenes in my mind, either remembered celebrations or imaginings of those to come, are blurry and colorful. The conversations, songs and music, food and favorite drinks mill about in my head without any actual specificity, and I feel that is a testament to their value. The holidays allow us to create surreal sanctuaries in contrast to the chaos of everyday life.

Now I don’t know if it was always so, but I feel having election day this close to Thanksgiving is a disservice to us all. I’ve seen many articles advising people on how not to ruin Thanksgiving dinner because of differing political views, or people calling dinner off altogether. Maybe we should urge our elected officials to change the election calendar to save future holidays. My family is usually well behaved, but I am going to warn them all, if during our meal the conversation starts to turn political, I will take my plate outside with the dogs to eat in peace.

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