Today is Thanksgiving Day, here in the USA. Happy Thanksgiving, to those who are celebrating!
Aside from all the food, one of the things I have always enjoyed most about this day is the stillness. It's the stillness of industry and commerce mostly coming to a complete halt. At least it used to be, before those who drive the machine of existence determined that even one day off was too much.
The first Thanksgiving I spent in the US was in 1981 when I was in college at UT Austin. Even then — at age 21 — I remember walking around the deserted campus on Thanksgiving Day. Normally, it was a bustling "metropolis" of 51,000 students... but on this day, it was empty, maybe a handful of people wandering about.
Years later, I would baffle my then in-laws because I'd leave in the middle of all the family festivities to go for a long walk in the stillness. When I tried to explain that I "just needed to hear the silence," they weren't entirely sure what to do with that.
As the years and decades have rolled by, I have come to realize that what I am often most thankful for in life is moments of silence.
When I was in the retail trade, these observations of silence became doubly important... as the stillness became a symbolic lead-in to four to five weeks of absolute chaos with extended opening hours and sometimes 40% of our annual sales volume coming during those few days.
Today, I observed the stillness again, sitting on our back porch with Mrs. Denmarkguy, having our morning coffee and listing to...nothing.
Silence is deeply underrated in our world; in our societies. Somehow, we seem to have grown almost obsessed with the idea that every waking moment must be filled with "something," be that sound, talk, experiences, activities, work or just busy-ness.
Tomorrow — Friday — marks what has historically been the start of the "shopping season" in this country. Of course, this year might be a little different, with restrictions on movement and many closed stores.
I find myself thinking about the bumper sticker I occasionally see: "The best things in life are not THINGS!"
Somehow, I relate a little more deeply to that, with every passing year.
Happy Thanksgiving to all! I hope your day was a good one!
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Created at 20201126 23:34 PST
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