A Wise Man Once Told Me…

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I realize now that it’s
after midnight on the east coast so it’s technically not Thanksgiving anymore
but I’m going to go ahead with this post anyway.

Thanksgiving was always a day that put things into perspective for me year
after year. Lately, my turkey days have been about driving to Philadelphia from
Reading, enjoying dinner with the family that I rarely see followed my a nice
drive home in the dark to work early the next morning.

This year is no different in that respect but I did take a moment or two to
take a look around and think about what this world has come to on a day where
we are all technically supposed to be giving “thanks” to what we
have.

This year, America was introduced to an idiot…

sarah-palin-turkey-slaughter-big.jpg

Or two…

 Three if you count the guy
in the background slaughtering a turkey while looking for some ill-advised
camera time.

But that’s not really my point. I just wanted to point out that Sarah Palin and
Glenn Beck (and the turkey farmer) are idiots.

I digress.

We’re entering into a holiday season that is projected to be rough. Jobs are
scarce, loans are down, the economy is bad and companies all over the country
are just trying to figure out a way to get us to spend money we really don’t
want to spend. Instead of exchanging gifts with everyone, my family is doing a
secret santa.

The outlook is dim. America right now is like the Royals in September; do we
trade away our assets and hope to rebuild for next season? or do we bring up
some of our better prospects and try to make a run at becoming a playoff
spoiler?

In baseball, there’s always next season, but America doesn’t have that luxury.
While some see turmoil, however, I see opportunity.

I see the opportunity to take a step back and look at what we’ve got right in
front of us instead of lusting over what we don’t have. I see opportunity to
take a new path in how we go about our everyday lives. I look around and I see
a country that has become infatuated with money, possessions, and power while
emphasis is all but lost on the one thing I think matters most. Family.

I have a great family. There’s always someone there to talk to, to ask for
advice, to be a shoulder to cry on. It’s easy to lose perspective on what’s
really important. It’s no flashy, it’s not cool and it doesn’t pay the bills.
We’re all guilty of it at one time or another. So while everything that takes
away from those we love is in financial distress, maybe we can take the chance
to find out what we’ve missed.

It’s always been my philosophy to believe that everything happens for a reason.
And even that which seems insurmountable may be just be the perfect chance to
explore the unexplored.

To quote Benjamin Franklin (hometown hero!): “Every obstacle is an
opportunity in disguise.”

Smart guy.

 

 

5 comments

  1. juliasrants

    Scott, you are so right! Maybe this is the time for all of us to take another look at what really matters. It’s the people in our lives, it’s being healthy, it’s about giving of our times to others. Material things all too often end up in the trash, but it’s the important things that stay with us for a life time. Some pretty awesome insight on your part so late at night. Thank you for reminding us about what truly matters.

    Julia
    http://werbiefitz.mlblogs.com/

    Reply
  3. Jane Heller

    Very wise post. We all need to value the important things in life, not just in tough times but all the time – our family, yes, but also our health. I volunteer at my local hospital every Monday, and during my four-hour shift I talk to patients who need a shoulder to lean on. Sometimes I go there grumbling about what happened or didn’t happen in my life that morning. Then I get to the hospital and see people in REAL crisis and I realize it’s all about perspective and gratitude. OK. Enough with the sermonizing! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving. I just finished blogging about mine. What a saga.

    – http://janeheller.mlblogs.com

    Reply

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