I Hate Thanksgiving!

Ok...I don't really hate the act of giving thanks...noting all of the things for which I am grateful.

I just loathe the institutionalization of the holidays. Being told when, where and how to emote.

I am equally grateful in May, actually more so, because May represents spring and I am grateful for the end of winter.

I am grateful in January as I celebrate my little daughter's birthday. For that matter I am grateful for her every single day of the year. March 3rd. July 9th. September 15th. Every single day. And December, April and March as those are the month's in which my older daughter, son and wife celebrate their birthdays. I am equally grateful for them too.

I am especially grateful right around February 1st, because, after all of the holidays and the beginning of the year birthdays and sales, the festivities are finally, thankfully over...and I thank God (g-d for my Jewish friends) for that! Oh sorry, February 15th to be exact...the day after Valentine's Day.

The entire reason for these "special" days is to promote commerce. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mother's Day, Halloween, Valentine's Day. They exist to sell stuff. Now, I understand that, somewhere in history, there was an original reason for selecting one day for whatever reason. Jesus was born on December 25th (well, not really, but whatever...), Thanksgiving was the day we had a meal with the Indians (sorry, Native Americans...oops sorry again, I guess most of us are Native Americans, those of us who were born here that is...), and then made them do the dishes forever after. Columbus Day celebrates Columbus' discovery of The West Indies (which then became The United States, incidentally...you knew that, right...?)

The only real day of celebration is July Fourth...we actually are celebrating a real moment in history...but that has become about hot dogs and fireworks and little flags. I bet there are a lot of school kids that have no idea what July Fourth designates. Those are the same kids that think Wyoming is a country, just like Al Pacino's hapless friend in Dog Day Afternoon, one of the greatest films ever made and for which I am grateful every time I see it.

So...I hate Thanksgiving...probably because my Uncle made it so unbearable when I was a kid...always yelling at somebody and making the 3 hour ride to New Jersey even less justifiable.

But the turkey was always good.

Go Golden Bears!!