It's Not Like I'm Out Of Ideas. I'm Just Succumbing To Peer Pressure.

Since I’m three thousand words behind on NaNo, this is going to be a quick post.

I was going to write the standard ‘things I’m thankful for’ post, but in all reality if I started to list the things for which I am thankful it would be like that one television commercial where they guy is trying to tell a girl everything on his mp3 player and takes the rest of their shared lives to do it.

I’m thankful for the good things, because they’re, well, good. It’s nice to have good things happen. Good things around. Good people and good food.

I’m thankful for the bad things. Bad things and bad experiences end up teaching me more about myself and how to best go about this business of living in the world. If there were no bad things I would not have to reach deeper within my self or farther outside my comfort zone to overcome the obstacles.

I’m thankful for all of the people I’ve come in contact with. I can’t honestly separate those into ‘good’ and ‘bad’. The older I get the more obvious it is that everyone does some good things and some bad things. I think that most people want to do good and generally only do bad out of misunderstanding or preoccupation or an inner struggle of their own that acts as a roadblock in how they treat other people. And the very few people I’ve met (I can count them on one hand) who are genuinely awful through and through make me realise that sadness and meanspiritedness and smallness are the worst things that can happen to a person. I’m thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to have those people cross my path as a cautionary tale. I’m also thankful there were so few of them. I’m thankful for how their meanness has held a mirror up to the meanness within me, teaching me to root it out while it’s small so that I don’t become that source of pain to someone else.

I’m thankful for all the people who’ve had to put up with my bad days and snappiness and rudeness and arrogance and cruelty. None of them have killed me, although I suppose I might have given them good cause.

I’m thankful for all the people who are open about their own lives and struggles. They serve as touchstones for the journey. Reminders that I’m not the only one who gets sick or frustrated. I’m not the only one who doesn’t always have it all figured out.

I’m thankful for the people who, for whatever reason take time out of their lives to join with my life by reading what I write. Time is the most precious gift we have. The fact that anyone would spend some of their most valuable commodity on consuming my thoughts is awe-inducing and very humbling.

I’m thankful for you.

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