Thanksgiving...Thank$taking?

     Oh my, I'm getting grumpy and cynical as I age. Or, the world really is changing.
     It's bad enough that Christmas arrives in stores before all the new school supplies have been snapped up by eager students and their harried parents. Then Black Friday proved such a success that it bled into Thanksgiving itself.  Is shopping really that important? Are the sales really that good? What "stuff" is so valuable that a holiday is ruined for employees and their families and has become a headache for employers?  According to some intrepid reporters, some prices actually go up on these sale days. How many eager shoppers notice that?
     What does it say about us as humans that on the one day of the year set aside for us to pause and take stock of all we have to be grateful for, we are encouraged to buy, buy, buy. (More to be grateful for!)
     What does it say about our country that a growing number are, out of pride-stomping necessity, on the receiving side of free community meals (and not just on Thanksgiving).  Some probably go there when they get off work since their pay barely covers rent and utilities. While the rich get richer and the working poor get left cashiering all those valuable bargains, the rest are blessed with the opportunity to feel good about donating or serving food to the hungry. It's a noble thing to do, but far nobler is to do so in January or February when folks are really desperate and fresh food is more scarce. Newspapers aren't there to photograph those warm-and-fuzzy scenes. We all need to spend equal effort on electing people who truly care and can't be bought by the vested interests who ever so quietly make sure the rules and regulations tilt in their favor.
     You could say the real turkeys weren't on Thanksgiving tables, they're in board rooms and back rooms every day where decisions are made about where to produce goods, wages and benefits, healthcare costs and, in essence, who gets a shot at a decent life and opportunities for their families.
     Here's to all the businesses who shuttered their doors on Thanksgiving and allowed their employees a well-deserved day off. A paid holiday, just like those at the top. That would be showing true gratitude to those who make wealth possible, albeit for fewer and fewer among us.