Thursday, November 22, 2012

My Thoughts on Turkey Day

When I think of Thanksgiving, I think of two things.  #1 My Papaw, in his recliner watching football after dinner.  There have been many thanksgivings since his passing, and none of them truly celebrated without him.  I like to think of him there, enjoying the game while the women cleaned up.  It was his place.  #2 is more difficult.  I can't help but think of the near eradication of the Native American race when thanksgiving comes around.  What a downer, I know.  Well, call me Debbie because in my eyes thanksgiving is a bittersweet holiday.  A non-holiday, really.  We celebrate by being thankful, which we should be every day anyway, and by killing hundreds of thousands of turkeys.  The Native Americans would have thanked the turkey for it's sacrifice, but I'm betting few of us do that.  I guess, for me, I'd like to take thanksgiving as a day to say "I'm sorry".  Sorry for the thousands of people and animals that we stepped on (often literally) to get where we are today.  America the beautiful would have been just as beautiful had we shared the land rather than stealing it.

That's just me though.  I was raised to feel guilty for everything lol.  I'll eat turkey and dressing today just like everyone else, I'll just feel badly about doing it.