Thanksgiving

In the face of an uncertain future, it is sometimes difficult to feel thankful. It is even harder to express our gratitude. What we must remember is that all futures are uncertain. In economic boom times the illusion of a rosy future is as uncertain as the dismal future some imagine now. I wanted to avoid politics, that is not what this post is about, but it is inevitable. When you are powerless to change an intolerable situation in which you find yourself, you must change the way you think about it.

For gun owners, the future of an Obamanation seems bleak. The fact is, with organization of gun owners, which is stronger than ever before, and the wrong moves by a Congress enraptured by their power and oblivious to their own vulnerability at the polls in a couple of years, control of Congress could change as quickly as it did in 1994.

As I watched my wife prepare our Thanksgiving dinner, I realized just how fortunate I was to have her in my life. I am fortunate to have good kids. Kids I am proud of, kids who I am confident will persevere and do well in life. I often feel fortunate that I have a career that will insure the financial future of my family. Each day at work though, I am reminded of my own mortality and how that security is also an illusion.

I have faced uncertain futures before. The only difference is that I had less to lose back then. Truly, it is not the uncertain times ahead that cause us anxiety, but rather the fear that we may lose the security that we believe we have. Life is not about stability though. Security is an illusion. Our individual journeys through life are inherently unstable. Life is about change.

If there is anything that can be gleaned from the whipping of the Republican Party at the polls, it is the American people's desire for change, and their desire for hope. Change and hope are not inherently bad things. Change and hope are universal, enduring concepts that are owned by no political party. Change and hope can not be cheapened by being used as political slogans. The power for change and the vision of hope are still owned by the American people, and in 2010 and 2012, the conservatives in America will be the bearers of change, and hope.

I am thankful that I live in a nation that allows true change through the political process. Even though the future is uncertain when the power for change lies in the hands of those who I feel may assault my liberties, I would rather live thus than endure a totalitarian regime in which the vision of hope is as much an illusion as my security.

It has been difficult to write a Thanksgiving post this year. In truth, there is much to be thankful for. Our reasons for giving thanks have not changed. We must simply change the way we look at them.