A little while ago I got a text from my friend –stuck in the road, not happy with her Thanksgiving destination or with her meal prospects.

I think she texted on behalf of way too many Americans.  Nothing is worse than inhaling Eau de Dioxyde for hours on end.

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Tomorrow will be Thanksgiving day.

We are, by default, a thankless nation –filled with people who would rather sue others than ever have a moment of contrition or admission of guilt.

We live in a nation where an unemployment rate as of October 2007  of 4.4% manages to make people ask what is wrong with the economy.  (By contrast, the European Union’s rate as of September, 2007 was at  7.3% and everyone seems delighted.)

I’ll probably write a mushy entry on how much Thanksgiving means to me tomorrow. 

But today it’s the day to wonder why, as a nation, we feel that it’s okay to shuffle off to see relatives we cannot stand and make stilted, stifling plans after having driven for way too many hours. 

Thanksgiving is about the food.  And it’s about giving thanks.  So unless you’re happy traveling the distance and it’s worth your while, then it shouldn’t, and you needn’t.

And while we’re at it, let us learn to not just give thanks, but learn to accept it when people say "thank you" to us.

Politeness:  It’s what’s for dinner, after the graciousness appetizer.

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All you get is some aimless rambling right now.
I’m making a point of posting while you’re stuck in traffic, you know. 

How’s that for passive-aggressive relative-speak?

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For those not gearing up for a turkey tomorrow, I wish you a happy Thursday and thanks for tuning in.