Author Archives: Steve Mays
The First Thanksgiving
Americans revive spirit of first Thanksgiving by carrying disease to new areas
“I was watching a PBS special about the Pilgrims,” one American said, “and they spent their entire first winter in Massachusetts before Thanksgiving just watching their family members die. They carried them out to the woods, propped them up against trees and left them there to give the illusion that the settlement was guarded. That wasn’t something we incorporated into our Thanksgiving before, but it’s never too late to start a new tradition.”
From a delightful piece in the Washington Post. Behind their pay-wall, I think. But here’s the link.
I like pumpkin pie as well as the next guy but let’s face it: Thanksgiving –and Xmas for that matter– are made-up holidays. Like Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day and all the rest. Mostly about selling stuff. So putting family at risk for some cranberry sauce? Just selfish. I’ll celebrate “thanksgiving” on the day people start getting vaccinated.
It’s a mystery (Shakespeare In Love)
The Universe knows what it’s doing. I mostly find it true. My favorite cinematic example is from Shakespeare In Love.
Balloon Bouquet
Barb has been scratching her creative itch by making balloon…things for her nieces and nephews. And balloon bouquets (above) for a couple of friends.
On not wanting children
From a 2016 essay (My Biological Clock Can’t Tick Fast Enough) by Sari Botton:
“People sometimes commend me on how “brave” it was for us to not have children. I laugh, because to my mind, I arrived at it in just about the most cowardly way: I lucked into childlessness (if having a defective uterus can be considered luck). Deep down I didn’t want to have children, but I kept limping toward motherhood anyway, because I thought I should want them until, in the end, my anatomy dictated my destiny.”