Being Thankful

Thanksgiving was 2 days ago.

What am I thankful for?

1) I'm thankful that my home has running water, electricity, and flushing toilets. Stuff that so many Americans consider basic is stuff many people worldwide don't even have. Imagine your life without them. That's the life that millions worldwide have to put up with every day. That's the life our ancestors had to put up with.

2) I'm thankful to be able to live alone! I dont have to worry about others nagging, asking me stupid questions, etc when I want to have some privacy! I can actually have some time of peace & quiet. Plus, it helps you think better when others aren't always talking to you.

3) I'm thankful for improved relations with my family! A few years back, I felt alienated from my family due to some bad decisions they made. But at least they have acknowledged it and we have discussed them. And it made us all better people. And I'm NO LONGER alienated from them.

4) I'm thankful for the Internet! I dont have it at home, and I need to use the public library to access the Internet. But at least it's there. Because of the Internet, I have access to information that is hard to find elsewhere. And I even have my websites and email address to communicate my thoughts to the world.

5) I'm thankful to live in America! Most nations dont even have the same freedom or economic opportunity we have. I can post my thoughts on this blog without worrying about being thrown in jail for it. I live in a nation where we have luxury items that others don't have.

6) I'm thankful to live in Hawaii! Having sun and trade winds (most of the time), you can't get any better than that! It's a multi-racial society that is more succesful in cultural integration than most parts of the world. It's a good place to raise kids who can appreciate cultural diversity.

7) I'm thankful to live in Honolulu! It's the funnest part of Hawaii. It has all the malls, nightclubs, parks. It is Hawaii's center of business and government. It has some great institutions like the University of Hawaii, Ala Moana, Nuuanu YMCA, Palama Settlement, McKinley High School, Ward Center, Kahala Mall, the list can go on. It has a decent bus service (most of the time). And you can have easy access to nature (ie. the beaches, the botanical gardens, the green valleys) while living in an urban environment.

8) I'm thankful for glasses! Otherwise, I have difficult reading this screen.

9) I'm thankful for all the fun memories I have! They remind me that life can be fun :)

10) I'm thankful for all my good decisions! Such as refusing to take drugs, refusal to drink any alcoholic beverages, refusing to smoke, deciding to eat less & walk/bike more (which helped me loose weight), to excell in school, the list goes on and on.

11) I'm thankful for my friends! Some people dont have any.

12) I'm thankful for Detrol LA! Otherwise, I'd be urinating every half-hour.

13) I'm thankful for being employed! Though I'm not making big $$$, I'm thankful I'm getting some.

Also, being a sub teacher, I get to work at different schools and meeting new people. It's an adventurous life.

Conclusion : While most of our conversations goes along the line of "I wish I had this" or "I hate this", we must remember that in certain things, we have it better than others and to be thankful for it!

Or you'll be the guy that when told "others have it worse than you", he said "Really?"

Yes, really!