Thankful for Much (Such as Bears Game to Watch)

Thanksgiving offers such wondrous possibilities. There is the gathering of families — dysfunctional and otherwise (and if you happen upon a non-dysfunctional family, congratulations for that’s a rare breed indeed). There is the food, time-honored traditional and otherwise. There are the parades (never mind that such events can send family members hundreds and thousands of miles away from home). And, of course, there is football. Obviously, these are not listed in order of importance; otherwise football would have been mentioned much sooner.

Among others things, we are thankful for photos such as this of Dana Harem.

Once upon a time, Thanksgiving was a time when the world — OK, actually the United States — pretty much stood still. Oh, there might have been a bowling alley or theater that was open. If you were lucky and needed something at the last minute from a grocery store, you might find one open for a gallon of milk or whatever.

That was when Thanksgiving was a time to take a moment to reflect on what there was to be thankful for. And also to look at the newspaper ads to see what would be on sale the day after Thanksgiving. Times change.

What hasn’t changed is the Detroit Lions playing at home on Thanksgiving. This year’s opponent: the Chicago Bears in a game that should be over in time for a mid-afternoon meal, if so desired. And the Dallas Cowboys, who have become part of the annual tradition with their Thanksgiving Day game, follow that contest. With a game after that. Gluttony is not limited to food on this day. And, yes, three games on Thanksgiving can be a bit much to digest.

Among the many things that I am thankful for are the memories of Thanksgivings past and the people who were there (how did I go from being among the youngest to being among the oldest?); I am thankful for Thanksgiving present and enjoying the presence of family and/or friends; and I am hopeful to be a part of Thanksgivings in the future (with the realization that there are no guarantees regarding that).

While many of us are able to enjoy a day of giving thanks and socializing, the reality is most of us have much to be thankful for every day — regardless of the outcome of a football game.

To all the faithful folks (and even to the philanderers in the audience), a most Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

* For all those who complain about folks having to work on Thanksgiving, does anyone ever mention the folks involved with NFL games? Or are those considerations exempted from an American society focused on football/gambling/an excuse to get away from relatives?

* When President Barack Obama pardoned the White House turkey on Wednesday, some of us waited for a knee-jerk reaction from right-wing legislators (who haven’t done much legislating since he took office) demanding the bird be killed. Apparently this was one unofficial executive order that just about everyone agreed with. Maybe there is hope for America after all.

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