Bruce Johnson
Posts: 16353
Joined: 8/27/2007
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Bill Jandro quote:
ORIGINAL: Bruce Johnson Some last personal notes about Thanksgiving Day. I have always thought of it as the best holiday. It is to God that we are giving thanks and it's a holiday when all of the family comes together without the awkwardness of giving and receiving presents. When I was a child I was fine with that, but as an adult it brings tension and anxiety. Thanksgiving Day is supposed to be the one holiday that is preserved to be pure and uninfluenced by marketing and materialism. There is great food and of course football. I say all of that, but how ironic it has been for me to always be working on Thanksgiving Day. I have always coveted the extra money and so I have worked all of the holidays. The last time that I did not work on Thanksgiving was in 1993. On that day I was in Wisconsin and was managing a small shop in a mall in Racine, Wisconsin. (where the riots broke out recently) My family was back here in Minnesota. That was the last time I had the day off on Thanksgiving Day. There were a number of times when I would go to the Thanksgiving Day dinner with family and then have to leave for work. I always would feel sad having to leave. Everyone was relaxed and enjoying the desserts and drinks, but I had to work until Midnight and then get up at 5 in the morning to go to work again. This Thanksgiving was different. I wanted to work. I signed up to work, but my boss called me and told me to rest and enjoy the day off. It was so strange for me to do so that I tried to negotiate only working a half day, but because of the Covid restraints he really had no work for me to do. (I'm a Metro Mobility driver.) So I stayed home. I napped in the afternoon and took the dog for a walk, which I do almost everyday. I watched and enjoyed the football games and then the family members came over for the big dinner. In the end I had to tell everyone that I was tired and needed to go to sleep. I get up at three in the morning so my schedule is kind of weird. But it was different in the past. Instead of being jealous of everyone because they could enjoy the holiday, I was kind of sad that I didn't have the vitality I used to have. As you all know, I got Covid this year and it's effects are added to the fact that I am getting old. It's a different chapter in my life, but it is a good chapter because I am lucky to have the devotion and respect from my adult children who all seem to be doing well in life. I have the most beautiful wife (soon to be married for 40 years) and a loyal dog who is all too happy to go for the daily walks with me. So I truly have a lot to be grateful for. Sorry. This didn't have much to do with football. Carry on! Awesome post Bruce. We always have the big dinner at 1pm. That way there is more time to sit around and enjoy pie and conversation afterwards with football on in the background. My son works the graveyard shift at the Mall of America. They hired a soldier to work security and being that it's a potential high profile terror target, I think they made a good hire. I mean they have to be serious about their security. So we had to find the best time for everyone for dinner.
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We live in a world where we depend upon each other. In other words, we need each other just as God needs us and we need Him. How wonderful it would be if we could unite and live in harmony. Wouldn't it be better that way?
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