Today I am grateful for mankind- our diversity and progress.
Throughout my 62 years I have enjoyed the company and association of people from different races, religions, political viewpoints, gender attraction, and much more. I am grateful for what they have taught me. While I don't understand some of it I can be grateful for their kindness, generosity, wisdom, and laughter.
The first 48 years of my life were spent farming. As a young lad I spent many hours working side by side with wonderful men and boys who came from countries south of the border. Together we would sweat, laugh, and try to understand each other with our limited language skills. Some things need no words to communicate and I loved them and appreciated their struggles and dreams. I saw pictures of their families far away and learned that we had much in common even though it may be expressed differently. I spent many evenings on the porch of an older man from the Sioux tribe who worked for my father. He was limited physically and slow at most things but dad found things he could do and gave him work and as a youngster loved to listen to his stories in the warmth of a late summer evening.
My first exposure to engraving was a Navajo- kind, gentle, and unclear about his place in the world- I held his girlfriend/ partner in my arms at his funeral. Too much alcohol and too little understanding of what he could give the world and how he was loved resulted in his taking of his life late one night. Thank you Daniel for what you taught me and being my friend.
My circle of friends includes Jews, Christians of many denominations, Conservatives, Liberals, Agnostics, Atheists, people whose skin color ranges from very light brown to dark brown, who speak languages I don't understand, and work at jobs that I would never have the ability to do. I am grateful for all.
Today I can climb on an airplane and fly across the country in a few short hours and visit a daughter on the East coast. I can talk to friends and family around the world via a small thin black box in my hand. I can write nonsense with a computer and you can read it anywhere in the world. Vaccines have eradicated polio, small pox, chicken pox, tetanus, and many other horrible diseases that plagued our forefathers and soon it will be COVID. I sleep in a warm bed heated by wonderful systems that don't rely on cutting wood. In the evenings I can be entertained with movies and TV. My how my grandfathers would marvel if they could come back for an hour or two. They would say it is a miracle and it is. Slavery has been abolished and we still work on discrimination, women can vote, we have public libraries, paved roads, cars, microscopes, pneumatic and electric engraving systems, ovens, computers, the internet, electric lights have replaced candles, and thinsulate in my boots for my cold garage workshop in a northern Utah winter. Forecast says we won't break freezing today. I am grateful for all and so much more. Never has mankind enjoyed so many comforts and conveniences.
That's enough blarney for today. Have a great day and may you be blessed mightily.
#givethanks
Throughout my 62 years I have enjoyed the company and association of people from different races, religions, political viewpoints, gender attraction, and much more. I am grateful for what they have taught me. While I don't understand some of it I can be grateful for their kindness, generosity, wisdom, and laughter.
The first 48 years of my life were spent farming. As a young lad I spent many hours working side by side with wonderful men and boys who came from countries south of the border. Together we would sweat, laugh, and try to understand each other with our limited language skills. Some things need no words to communicate and I loved them and appreciated their struggles and dreams. I saw pictures of their families far away and learned that we had much in common even though it may be expressed differently. I spent many evenings on the porch of an older man from the Sioux tribe who worked for my father. He was limited physically and slow at most things but dad found things he could do and gave him work and as a youngster loved to listen to his stories in the warmth of a late summer evening.
My first exposure to engraving was a Navajo- kind, gentle, and unclear about his place in the world- I held his girlfriend/ partner in my arms at his funeral. Too much alcohol and too little understanding of what he could give the world and how he was loved resulted in his taking of his life late one night. Thank you Daniel for what you taught me and being my friend.
My circle of friends includes Jews, Christians of many denominations, Conservatives, Liberals, Agnostics, Atheists, people whose skin color ranges from very light brown to dark brown, who speak languages I don't understand, and work at jobs that I would never have the ability to do. I am grateful for all.
Today I can climb on an airplane and fly across the country in a few short hours and visit a daughter on the East coast. I can talk to friends and family around the world via a small thin black box in my hand. I can write nonsense with a computer and you can read it anywhere in the world. Vaccines have eradicated polio, small pox, chicken pox, tetanus, and many other horrible diseases that plagued our forefathers and soon it will be COVID. I sleep in a warm bed heated by wonderful systems that don't rely on cutting wood. In the evenings I can be entertained with movies and TV. My how my grandfathers would marvel if they could come back for an hour or two. They would say it is a miracle and it is. Slavery has been abolished and we still work on discrimination, women can vote, we have public libraries, paved roads, cars, microscopes, pneumatic and electric engraving systems, ovens, computers, the internet, electric lights have replaced candles, and thinsulate in my boots for my cold garage workshop in a northern Utah winter. Forecast says we won't break freezing today. I am grateful for all and so much more. Never has mankind enjoyed so many comforts and conveniences.
That's enough blarney for today. Have a great day and may you be blessed mightily.
#givethanks
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