THANKS A LOT

SO, TOMORROW IS THANKSGIVING, AND I GOT TO THINKING ABOUT THE HOLIDAY ITSELF, AND HOW IT'S KINDA LOST IT'S MEANING.  IT'S LOST IT'S MEANING PRIMARILY DUE TO THE SLOW REVELATION OF THE TRUTH OF THE HOLIDAY ITSELF.  IF YOU DIVE INTO THE HISTORY OF THANKSGIVING OR EVEN THE TIME PERIOD, YOU START TO REALIZE THAT, IT IS PRETTY ATROCIOUS.  THESE PEOPLE CAME TO THIS COUNTRY AND SLAUGHTERED THE NATIVES, STOLE THE LAND, AND ENSLAVED THE REMAINDERS.  IT'S PRETTY HORRIBLE.  ALL OF IT.  SO, YEAH, WE DON'T HOLD ON TO THIS NONSENSE ABOUT THE HOLIDAY ANYMORE, BECAUSE, WE'VE DISCOVERED MORE UNDER THE SURFACE.  HOWEVER, WE STILL CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY, BECAUSE OF TRADITION, I SUPPOSE.  ONE COULD EASILY ASSUME, THAT MANY COMPANIES BENEFIT FROM THE HOLIDAY, SO, TO DISPOSE OF THE HORRIBLE CELEBRATION OF THIS TRADITION, WOULD BE HARMFUL TO BUSINESS.  HOWEVER, THERE'S NOW BLACK FRIDAY, WHICH HAS BECOME A HOLIDAY IN ITSELF.  THANKSGIVING HAS NOW BECOME A PRECURSOR, TO THE REAL EVENT OF BLACK FRIDAY.  SO THE DIMINISHED MEANING OF THANKSGIVING, HAS BEEN KINDA BUFFERED WITH THE INCEPTION OF BLACK FRIDAY, AND ALSO, WITH THE SUCCESS OF BLACK FRIDAY WE THEN GET CYBER MONDAY.  ALL OF THIS IS PRETTY MUCH, DROWNING OUT THE IDEA OF THANKSGIVING, AND PREPARING US FOR CHRISTMAS, WHICH IS WHAT BLACK FRIDAY AND CYBER MONDAY, ARE ALL ABOUT.

SO, WITH THANKSGIVING TAKING A BACKSEAT, TO CHRISTMAS, AND ALSO LOSING SOME OF IT'S POWER DUE TO THE TRUE NATURE OF WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY CELEBRATING, WE GET DOWN TO THE ACTUAL GRISTLE OF THE HOLIDAY ITSELF.  THANKSGIVING IS ABOUT FAMILY.  YOU SEE PEOPLE YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IN AWHILE, AND YOU GATHER AROUND, TO REMINISCE, EAT, WATCH FOOTBALL, DRINK, SMOKE, OR WHATEVER IT IS, YOU DO.  IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, YOU PROBABLY TRAVEL TO SEVERAL HOUSES AND EAT SEVERAL MEALS, DUE TO EXTENDED FAMILY.  HOWEVER, WITH ALL OF THIS HOLIDAY TALK, I GOT TO THINKING, WHAT IS FAMILY?  WE SAY THAT WE ARE SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY FOR THANKSGIVING, BUT, WHAT REALLY CONSTITUTES AS FAMILY?  GROWING UP, I ALWAYS FELT THAT FAMILY WAS BLOOD, AND SCIENTIFICALLY YES THAT'S TRUE.  HOWEVER, IF THERE'S FAMILY YOU HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO, OR FAMILY YOU NO LONGER ASSOCIATE WITH, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEN DOES THAT STILL QUALIFY THEM AS FAMILY IN A REAL SENSE?  SCIENTIFICALLY YES, I KNOW, BUT IN TERMS OF THE HOLIDAY AND THE GATHERING OF FAMILY, IS THIS STILL TRUE?  THE FLIPSIDE THEN, IS WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE THAT AREN'T BLOOD RELATED, THAT HAVE GROWN CLOSER TO YOU THAN FAMILY?  

THE POINT OF THE HOLIDAY, IS TO GATHER UP ALL THE PEOPLE YOU GIVE A SHIT ABOUT AND CELEBRATE.  CELEBRATE WHAT?  CELEBRATE THAT YOU HAVE HAVE EACH OTHER.  YOU THANK EACH OTHER FOR WHAT THEY'VE CONTRIBUTED TO YOUR LIFE, AND YOU TAKE THE TIME TO BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE, AND HOW FAR YOU COME....WHICH IS KINDA NONSENSICAL, BECAUSE YOU SHOULD BE DOING THIS FREQUENTLY ANYWAY.  HOWEVER, FOR THOSE WHO NEED AN ACTUAL DAY TO DO THIS (VALENTINE'S, MOTHER'S, FATHER'S DAY, ETC.), WE HAVE THANKSGIVING.  WE LIVE AND WE DIE, PERIOD.  IN THE MEANTIME, WE ATTEMPT TO MAKE SENSE OF OUR LIVES AND MAKE SOMETHING OF OURSELVES, AND ALONG THE WAY WE DISCOVER PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR LIVES.  SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ARE BLOOD RELATED AND SOME AREN'T, AND THAT ENDS UP BECOMING OUR FAMILY, OR WHAT WE CONSIDER OUR FAMILY STRUCTURE.  THEY SUPPORT US, BELIEVE IN US, KEEP US GOING, AND IF YOU NEED A DAY TO SAY THANK YOU, YOU MIGHT BE A JERK.  ALL KIDDING ASIDE, THANK THESE PEOPLE, YOU CONSIDER FAMILY, BECAUSE, YOU NEVER KNOW IF THEY'LL BE AROUND FOR THE NEXT GATHERING.    -  925