Thanksgiving Hang Out

As we approach Thangsgiving Day, I'm reminded of my childhood/teen years   As you gather with friends and family keep this in mind.  Your friends and family will really reveal who you are.  It's not prejudice to protect your mind and attitude.  When I was a kid growing up in the 60’s, I made lots of friends in elementary and junior high school.  I was a band nerd and played some sports.  Facebook has allowed me to reconnect with many of them over the last few years, but that’s a story for another time.  My parents made it a point to know who they were and who their parents were.  In a small community, this isn’t that difficult, but I grew up in the city, so it was much more challenging.  If I got invited to a friend’s house for any activity, the first thing they wanted to know was how I knew them, who their parents were, what they did for their occupation, where they went to church (for my dad, being a minister, this was very important), what the friends did when they weren’t involved in our common bond.  Honestly, it felt like The Inquisition!  Well, maybe not that bad, but I couldn’t understand why they were so concerned.  We were just going to…(enter any activity).  As I grew older and had a child of my own, I started to understand the concern. I was reminded this week of something through a fellow real estate agent I heard years ago, that you are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with.   When I started to think about that, I discovered a dichotomy.  If I was always looking to associate with people more successful, smarter, talented than I was, how did those people justify hanging with someone like me, who, in my mind. may not be at their level on some of those factors?  I’m not sure how to answer that question, so my thought is, maybe they could lift me up or what about this…I may be able to contribute into their life as well.  To think that I (we) have nothing to contribute into others lives is flawed thinking, basically because we’re all different. We have different talents, skills, strengths and abilities.  So I’d say the real deal is, in the words of the poet, John Donne, “no man is an island, entire of itself…”  So look for someone who’s life you can contribute into, and yours will be richer for it as well!

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Take a moment to reflect on all your blessings and the great country we call home!