Dear Thanksgiving,
This month I have kept a running log of the daily things that I’m thankful for. As a salute to you, here is that list. November 1st: Today I'm thankful for Ross (yeah, I know, an obvious one) because he helped me clean the house, take down the Halloween decorations and we even put up the tree. (Not decorated, we'll wait till after Thanksgiving for that.) We figured while we're cleaning we might as well. Ross is such a wonderful, caring person and I couldn't do half of what I do without him. November 2: I'm thankful to live in a golden age of film. Ignoring the conglomeration and world domination that Disney is leading, I am still thankful for the company because in 2017 I am able to see new Star Wars movies and new Marvel movies each year. If Disney owned shares in the afterlife, I'd be ready to go right now. November 3rd: I'm thankful for my family and the support they are. November 4th: I'm thankful for my education and learning more every day. November 5th: I'm thankful for my job even though it keeps me away from quality Netflix time. November 6th: I am thankful for foresight and hindsight. Foresight to be able to see what others may not and hindsight to see what others refuse to see. November 7- I am thankful to live in America. Sure I complain about crumbling infrastructure and corrupt politicians but it's not all bad, we spend a lot of money on Amusement parks. That's rad. November 8 - I am thankful for this existence and the sentience it gives me. I know that I am growing and learning and changing and that my mind is just a computer operating an outdated software system inside a meat slab. I know I am host to a spirit who will one day be vital to this universe. I am thankful for the chance to have this human experience and grow. I can't wait to one day be 69 years old and have that one bit of human nature that will make me want to lie about my age or giggle when I say how old I am. Humanity is wierd. November 9 - I am especially thankful for my ability to form sentences filled with the most colorful words. If it weren't for my education and my talent as a writer I wouldn't know who I am. I am a thinker, a writer, and I love being able to express myself freely. Chalk this one up to freedom of speech too. I'm glad I can run my mouth in a pretty way and people will listen to me. November 10 - I'm thankful that it is becoming acceptable to speak out about things that used to be consider taboo or shameful. I hope this is the start of taking power from those who abuse it and the start of a healthy discussion about sex and respect for others. November 11 - I'm thankful for my cute pets. November 12 - I'm thankful for lazy Sunday's November 13 - I'm thankful for my parents because they taught me that sometimes the greatest lessons in life are learned late in life. November 14 - I'm thankful for my media bias group for helping to create 3 of the best projects this semester. November 15 - Teachers, doctors, and garbage men. Real heroes. November 16 - Opposition. How else will we grow? November 17 - I'm thankful for drinking fountains that have a proper (high) water pressure so it shoots into my mouth and I don't have to strain to get a drink. Great technology. November 18 - I'm thankful for this semester being almost over. November 19 - I'm thankful for spending every day with Ross, which makes up for the fact we won't be together for the holidays November 20 - I'm thankful for febreeze for keeping my house smelling so good November 21 - I'm thankful for life because two years ago I was in a hospital bed not so sure November 22 - I'm thankful that I only have to wait two more weeks to see my family again after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving - I'm thankful that we could drive up to Idaho and back today with ease and safety. November 24 - I'm thankful to be seeing Katy Perry in SLC tonight. November 25 - I'm thankful for leftovers. November 26 - I'm thankful for my statistics teacher for her endurance throughout the Thanksgiving break to continue assigning homework despite the fact that I lost comprehension of the material two weeks ago and there's about one week left. November 27 - I'm thankful for the unknown and all that science, philosophy and religion tries to explain and the unexplainable. The Matrix, the Mandela Effect. The pigeon superstition. The butterfly effect. The chaos theory. The space-time continuum. The illusion of choice. Destiny. The string theory. The big crunch theory. The afterlife. I like that humanity has such an existential need to understand and that the universe has more to show us than we can know. November 28 – I’m thankful that for good friends who stick around even when we get busy, there’s distance, our lives continue and we go through weird emotional periods. I’m thankful that I always have friends to fall back on. November 29 and 30 hasn’t happened yet but I’ll add two more. I’m thankful that I have had time to get these blog posts written each week and I’m thankful for time in general, because it allows me to thank people in the here and now. #Thanks4Now E.L. Grahamwood
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Dear November 21st,
You are a day that I believe I am always going to remember. It’s been two years now and I’m in a much different place than I was back then, but somehow, I can’t forget about you. It’s as if that night is engraved in the side of my brain, forcing me to remember every detail. My first suicide attempt. It doesn’t even sound real. I truly am thankful for this moment in my life, not because it happened or because of the things that lead me to it, but because of everything that happened afterwards. As much pain as there was, how badly I was hurting inside, I began to truly try and make a change for the better. I’m not happy that it left my parents devastated and hurting. I’m not happy that it left me in debt and ruined one of my best friendships, but I am happy that I rose from it. I made goals and I looked inside myself to see what the issue was. Now I take medicine, but I learned to be introspective and listen to myself back then. It was a growing experience that I never could have wished for. I wished for many other things. To die, to be a different person, to not be unhappy, but I didn’t know that this cry for help was going ot be the true life-changer. I’m grateful for this day because of it. Now I am a different person. I’m married, in a good place, loving life, and I am striving every day to be better. It’s because of you that I am reaching for the stars, because I know how it feels to be buried beneath the Earth. May you never be forgotten. #Thanks4Now E.L. Grahamwood Dear President Donald J. Trump,
Congratulations on a year of “winning big.” From your own mouth, it’s true, no one wins bigger than Donald Trump. However, after a year of America dealing with your wins, it has become apparent that the American people have had the most losses. America has lost the respect of our foreign leaders who look at our country as if it is a joke. America has lost a leader who knows how to make the hard decisions and do what is best for the population. America has lost the safety and security it had when Barack Obama was in the white house. America has lost the reputation of the fair media. Americans lose while you win. After a year of every possible embarrassment that you can muster, it is nice to see that you are warming up into your position and taking a little time off to golf. I’m sure you win bigly considering you spend so much time on the golf course. I’m not complaining about that. I would much rather have you on the golf course enjoying yourself than sitting in the oval office. Have you heard of retirement? It’s incredible to think that America has survived the last year without falling apart under your lead. Sure, we witnessed the most violent mass shooting in U.S. history this year and sure Puerto Rico is barely surviving from a hurricane and yes, it’s true that we now have so much hate and fighting going on that literal Nazi’s are roaming the street, but that’s not your fault. You’re a victim of circumstance. It’s not like it’s your job to lead the people into peace, unity, prosperity, and growth. Oh wait, it is. Man up, Trump. #Thanks4Now E.L. Grahamwood. |
Erick L. Graham Wood
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