Nowadays, it’s hard not to take things for granted. Everything responding at the speed of light has eroded our patience to the point where, for example, every 100ms (that’s, millisecond, as in 1/1000 of a second) increase in the time it took for amazon.com pages to load led to a 1% decrease in sales.
Additionally, with the convenience of modern living, it’s too easy to become complacent. Procrastination becomes a way of life. Our journeys have become shorter and less important – more of an obstacle than anything else – and we forget to enjoy and learn from them and instead focus on getting to our destination as quickly as possible.
And so, with that in mind, I’ve thought about my life, and what I’m thankful for. On all levels, large and small, especially as it relates to life in the time Thanksgiving originated. In the spirit of the holiday, I thought I would share some of the things I am most thankful for.
To begin with, I am thankful for all of the comforts of modern life. A nice apartment, furniture, cooking utensils, the ability to buy nearly any food on earth at a local market any time of the year, electrical appliances, clean running water, the Internet, heating/cooling appliances, etc… The list goes on. Sometimes it’s hard to remember all of the effort that goes into producing these things. It’s also easy to forget that the demand for these items has led to wasteful and/or harmful production procedures. When it’s just an item on a supermarket shelf in a nice package, it’s easy to forget the sacrifice that went into it. That being said, I am both thankful and remorseful for that sacrifice. Thankful for the product, but ashamed for contributing to the process. On that note, I am thankful of being made more aware of these things, and of the increasing effort to clean up and take responsibility for these practices.
Which brings me to my next point. I am very thankful for the increasing awareness and global sense of responsibility to the environment and ethics. I wonder if it’s because all of us now becoming adults grew up with shows like Captain Planet… Probably not, but whatever reason, it’s very refreshing to know that not only are people being more aware on all levels, but also more responsible. It’s refreshing to see people using their power again and making efforts small and large to protect the environment and also to stand up for the ethical treatment of their fellow human beings.
In a time of economic failure and loss, it’s hard not to be thankful for employment, but I am especially thankful for my job. Not only the fact that I still have one, but that after years of trial and error, I have made my way into a career that I enjoy, working with people that I like, and for a company I feel I can take some pride in. What’s more is that I am able to work from wherever I am, allowing my wife to take an International job while still keeping mine. The nature of my job allows this, but not many employers will allow it, and then only for a select group of trusted employees. I am both deeply honored and thankful for this opportunity, as difficult as it sometimes seems, I wouldn’t trade it.
On a short, related note, I am also thankful for the Internet. I would be well and truly lost without it. Whether it’s keeping in touch with friends and family, looking up directions, a recipe, a definition, figuring out where the heck I know that actor from, or playing a game. It has become an entrenched part of my life. There are many times I’d rather be living in the country somewhere completely cut off from technology, but when it comes down to it, I really likes me my Internets.
It is also worth mentioning that I am very thankful for my wife’s job. Without this job I would never have had the opportunity to live abroad and travel to the places I have been (or will be). I also would never have met any of our new friends here.
Having now traveled more than I had ever hoped to in my lifetime in just a year of living abroad, I have found myself thankful of a few related things. First, I am thankful for the diversity of our world. I love learning about different cultures and cuisines, the histories behind them, and the differences and similarities that connect us all. On the same note, though I love learning new languages (or bits of languages), I am very thankful for the prevalence of the English language! Additionally, I have a newfound respect for anyone living in a country without being able to speak the language, and will NEVER AGAIN make a comment such as "You live in America you should speak English!". I’m also much less tolerant of similarly xenophobic statements.
Being in a new place always brings the opportunity for new friends, and new adventures. I am boundlessly thankful for both! Since moving here, I have desperately missed my family and friends that were left behind. I had originally vowed to write letters (real letters!) but failed that for the reasons I mentioned in my opening statement (technology makes it so easy that you don’t feel bad putting things off, knowing it only takes seconds to do what might normally take an entire evening or longer). This loneliness, combined with the isolation of working from home, has made me even more thankful than I might have normally been for the new friends I have made, and the easy acceptance into the fold. It’s a great and supportive community at the school, and I’ve also had the opportunity to make friends outside of the sphere of the school through taekwondo and neighbors. While I’m not as immersed in the culture as I thought, it is nice to be involved in even a small part of it.
And last, but definitely not least (since I have ALWAYS saved the best for last – especially foods. Why not have your favorite taste be the one left after the meal?) I am most thankful for my friends and family back in the states and here with me. I have made friends (and even family!) over the years, some more recent than others, but none less important, that have helped make my life richer and fuller than I could have ever imagined. Looking back on my life and thinking about what makes a person who they are, I have decided that my friends and family are not just people in my life, but they are actually pieces of it, and of me. Each person in my life is important to me, and I can’t think of one that I’m not eternally grateful for.
Looking back to a time when your survival to the next year was a gamble (and not with very good odds), and when much more work went into what you had. When even the chairs you sat on required a good deal of time, effort and care. When seeing friends and family could mean a difficult journey of several days or longer. When you think back to these times, a celebration of Thanks was more about stuffing yourself with as much factory farmed turkey as you could. It was about being thankful for Life, and all it encompassed. It was about finding joy and pride in the little things that is hard to come by these days. And while I am thankful for all that we have gained, I am sometimes sad for what was lost along the way.
