I’ve updated an older blog to celebrate Thanksgiving. I’m grateful for your support for my book and my weekly missives. If you are in the Gulf Breeze/Navarre, Florida area on December 10th, I hope you’ll attend my first book presentation at St. Sylvester’s Catholic Church. The talk will begin at 6:30 pm. It’s called a “Night of Storytelling!” and I’ll sign books afterward.
Enjoy this blast from the past…
**********
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday time. I love Christmas and the “reason for the season,” but we’ve wandered too far from its real meaning. Spending time with my family has always been better for me during the Turkey Day festivities.
This goes back to my childhood, but some of my fondest memories came after my parents became grandparents. Eventually, they developed a tradition of escaping with all of us to Sandestin, Florida. Since they lived in Destin, my Uncle Phil and Aunt Geraldine semi-hosted the event. We had a traditional Turkey and dressing feast with all the fixings, football games, golf for the guys, and shopping for the ladies. We were often treated to baked oysters in the half-shell with various toppings.
I miss those days. I guess I’m now the oldest member of this generation’s attendees. The great thing is that we are making our own memories and stories for future generations.
There is one story from a couple of decades ago that I don’t believe I’ll ever forget. Looking back, it seems like an episode from a slapstick vaudeville performance.
One of the best times during Thanksgiving is on Friday afternoons when the leftovers are dwindling, the ladies have returned from Black Friday, and the guys relax after the morning golf competition. This becomes the perfect time for half of our minions to nap.
We were sitting on one side of a duplex of rented condos. As we relaxed, I asked, “I’m going to refill my wine glass next door. Anybody else need anything?”
“Yes, would you bring me a glass of Merlot?” someone responded.
I walked next door and filled up two bowl-shaped glasses of red wine. On my return, I saw several members of our crew as I approached the entrance. Suddenly, without warning, the wine exploded, almost completely emptying on my face, shirt, and pants.
I had no idea what kind of volatile concoction had been placed inside these glasses, but I clearly heard laughter from the witnesses. Only then did I realize that some busybody had closed the almost translucent screen door to ward off some of Florida’s most invasive pests.
I appreciate humor as well as the next guy, and when I figured out that I am neither shot nor permanently disabled, I also doubled over laughing.
About thirty minutes later, another family member, absent during Act One of the play, repeated the same deft maneuver. This time, I’m on the inside. This is even funnier to me! But, apparently, not to him.
“Who shut the door?!? This is not funny. Someone could have been seriously hurt! It’s a good thing the glasses didn’t break and cut someone wide open!”
Maybe I’m being unfair, but this was much funnier than my earlier experience. But, we were only in Act Two of a Three-Act play.
My Dad had awakened from his nap. He missed the first two-thirds of the matinee performance. He decided to walk next door, and you can see where this is going. Now, here’s something important to know. Dad had a good sense of humor, most of the time.
Wait for it… Now!!! The screen door grabs another victim for the third time in less than two hours! This time was almost painful. The last thing anyone wanted to do was to laugh at the most senior member of that year’s excursion. Most of us knew we were on thin ice, making it even more challenging to hold the hilarity in. Several of us jumped up to help in the cleanup, but most of the crowd had run as far away as possible.
Eventually, after we poured an entire bottle of club soda on the stained clothing and loaded the washing machine in our final attempt to cleanse the debris, we settled down in peace.
Sometime later that evening, a new arrival came to visit the group.
“I just saw something crazy in the bushes next door. There’s a screen door twisted all to hell and back, lying on top of the azaleas. Wonder what in the world caused that?”
I’m sure people heard the laughter several states away! Nobody admitted to anything. I know for a fact, it wasn’t me!
We continue to have those “family” moments. I know that you have memories of good times with your family. I am so grateful for so many Thanksgivings over the years. But if you’re lucky, you create those experiences throughout the year.
This Thanksgiving, I’ll be turning 70. I look back over my life and feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people. My Uber experience has allowed me to meet folks from 71 countries. For almost nine years, I’ve given rides to more than 20,000 people. Everyone has special people in their lives, I hope. I know everyone needs somebody, that’s for sure.
I’m blessed beyond imagination to have such a great group of friends with whom I share my life. My family, especially my wife, Lane, my kids, and their spouses and children, are a greater gift from God than anything I could have earned.
God Bless Y’all, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Tommy