We take a lot for granted.
Part being lucky enough to live in America, part plain old humanness.
Watching the news, I frequently remark to My Captor “Thank God we live in America” as violent footage unfolds from foreign locales like Ukraine, the Middle East and Portland, OR.
But November offers two great opportunities to renounce ‘Takeforgrantedism’, when we express our gratitude on Veterans Day for those who served, and on Thanksgiving for pretty much everything.
If only we were more dog-like, Fido taking nothing for granted, always waiting by the door until you arrive home, and grateful for everything – even the worm pill jammed down their throat.
Unfortunately, it’s a human frailty to not fully appreciate what we have, while wanting more.
More! A case study while manning the Halloween treat bowl as our daughter’s family trick or treated, the “How many can I take?” reminding of 10 year-old me.
We can travel for Halloween, ours a quiet street, the only T&Ters Winnie from up the street, and a few GA students finally emerging from ‘Frat Beach.’
And thankfully, Halloween’s WAY back, again eagerly anticipated by kids, a neighborhood party for adults.
But as I tell Kids Today! It wasn’t like that when we were kids, our treats either had razor blades, needing to be X-Rayed – or in a version of Halloween Roulette, kids taking first bite turns of suspect treats – or candied apples from that hippie family, which helped us see God.
I even won Best Costume: dressed as Angry Old Man Guarding the Treat Bowl – a T&Ter complimenting me on how angry I was, asking me to shake my fist angrily again.
I mandated ‘Trick or Treat’ and ‘Thank You’ – most kids complied, but I excused the others: Kids in a hurry, and pretending to be someone/thing else.
For me, that latter thing combined with cocktails has led to some bad outcomes…
And while aging’s a case study in a whole bunch of stuff, it’s a graduate symposium on ‘What we took for granted’ – – with extra credit for “If you live long enough, every indignity will be visited upon you”.
While we take for granted ‘loss of function’, health complications and nagging pain as part of aging, I gratefully regard them as ‘Redemptive Suffering’: I’ll be a better man for this!
Sadly, as a young man I was full of piss and vinegar, now just piss, and 3 or 4 times a night.
Of course, health is our primary took for granted – ‘organ recitals’ can be lengthy, detailed and envying (I didn’t even know I had that body part!).
Perhaps my worst took for granted was “Auditory Performance”, a classier way of admitting I’m becoming hard of hearing.
Which doesn’t seem to frustrate My Captor at all – I think that’s what she said – but I’ll admit Closed Captioning is the greatest invention.
If only there were closed captioning bubbles above people’s heads – I might nod knowingly or laugh at the right times when out in public.
Or “Important” alerts letting me know I really need to listen.
I began using a hearing aid, but being able to hear what people were saying about me was irritating, and hearing myself made me feel sorry for those listening to me all these years.
But upon further reflection – and failing infrastructure aside – if you take any of this for granted, you’re not paying attention…
Reminding myself with My ‘Talisman’ – the dent in my head from a recent carcinoma removal – which I rub gratefully: Just lucky to be here!
For 193 more posts like this –each with a wish for more! – go to beersatthenifty.com. Your phone will display every post, and you can waste an hour or two.
Or send me an email to the site, and I’ll add you to my Sunday distribution.
TO ENHANCE YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THIS POST, PAIR IT WITH THE FOLLOWING SONGS:
Some people seem grateful when they’re not. Some are but don’t show it. Some band names have grateful in them, but it’s just a coincidence – like the Grateful Dead.
But aren’t you grateful to hear a Jerry lead and vocal? Wake of the Flood one fine album.
And this song is a decent guide to viewing what’s around you…
Eyes of the World Grateful Dead
Right outside this lazy summer home
You ain’t got time to call your soul a critic, no
Right outside the lazy gate of winter’s summer home
Wondering where the nut-thatch winters
Wings a mile long just carried the bird away
There comes a redeemer, and he slowly too fades away
There follows his wagon behind him that’s loaded with clay
And the seeds that were silent all burst into bloom, and decay
And night comes so quiet, it’s close on the heels of the day
Sometimes we live no particular way but our own
Sometimes we visit your country and live in your home
Sometimes we ride on your horses, sometimes we walk alone
Sometimes the songs that we hear are just songs of our own
Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world
The heart has its beaches, its homeland and thoughts of its own
Wake now, discover that you are the song that the morning brings
But the heart has its seasons, it’s evenings and songs of its own