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November 29, 1996
OBSERVATIONS
By Mac McKinnon
It's Thanksgiving weekend. What have we got to be thankful for, you
might be asking?
I know those who have gone to church might be hearing or have heard
this message and I don't want to be preaching, but we have plenty to be
thankful for in our lives.
I don't want to state the obvious but it can't be overlooked - God and
Jesus Christ. I hope everyone knows that from the outset.
However, I believe some people don't stop and think about the many
things in our lives that are obvious but are taken for granted including
family, health and friends.
If you don't believe your thankfulness goes beyong that point, compare
your lot in life with that of others in countries around the world. We
should be thankful for our good fortune of being born in the United
States. We could have been born in third world countries.
Stop and think about all the problems going on around in the world,
even if your financial situation isn't the best and you can't afford all
the food you want or clothes or shelter.
What even the poorest of people have in this country would be a luxury
in other countries. Although it might seem to be ludricious, consider
the cardboard boxes street people use in this country for shelter.
People in other countries don't even have that as cardboard isn't used
that extensively in other places in the world.
I wrote several years ago about a video tape produced for homeless
people to see at shelters. It was entitled something like "Dumpster
Dining." That may sound distasteful but what we throw away in this
country is far better than the average people get to eat in more than
half of the world's countries. And that includes billions of people.
In many countries, people don't even have a single shred of clothes to
wear. You've seen pictures on television. Some of that lack of clothing
is because of customs but much of it is just due to a lack of anything.
Again, even the poorest American throws away clothing that would be
considered a luxury for those people.
Our kids throw a fit when they don't get certain toys. Do you think
kids in other countries have anything to play with other than sticks and
rocks? Some of these people don't even have a place to call home or if
they do, they don't have any idea how long they'll get to stay there.
While all of this may sound rather grim, stop and think about it. We're
so wrapped up in our self pity in this country that we don't stop to
think about nor give thanks for our abundance.
That's what this special time of year is all about.
Mac McKinnon is editor and publisher of the Pecos Enterprise. His column
appears on Friday.
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