Thanks.

Ok, it's getting late, and I probably still have another hour's work of homework I need to finish for tomorrow. But it is Thanksgiving (for the next 47 minutes, at least), so I figure I should throw some thoughts out there. Despite my rather pessimistic outlook on things, there are a lot of things to be thankful for:

-Goin' to a decent school. Yeah, I complain about it a lot. I miss having free time. But I'm really glad to have the opportunity to spend four years of my life studying a profession I enjoy. And maybe I've just fallen prey to its own propaganda, but I really feel confident that this particular school is something special. I think I'm lucky to have ended up where I am.

-Having solid, decent-paying part-time work. Work that allows me to clock in at odd hours, do things I enjoy with intelligent coworkers. Employment that pays me more than I think I actually deserve, and helps me keep my (financial) head above the water during the school year.

-Living in a pretty great country. Sure Canada has got its fair share of problems, but compared with a lot of places, it's really a nice place to be. I mean, the long winters suck for sure, but all things considered, I think it's something that I really take for granted how blessed I am to live where I am.

-The (few) close friends I have. I don't spend as much time with them as I should, but the unquestioning support and patience and engaging conversation goes a really long way amongst a world of brief, passing relationships.

-Having some really kind/considerate family in the city. Similar to above, but they feed me, like, a lot of food and come to my rescue when my car craps out. Which tends to happen with alarming frequency.

-Music. My word, where would I be without it. My emotional and spiritual and mental crutch. It's there when I need it, and there always seems to be a particular song waiting for me to stumble upon that will fix the world as if it's a custom-designed tool to fit this one single job. I just can't fathom not having it on hand. I don't know what I'd do with myself.

-Cars. My car. Driving. Well, okay, I'm in an abusive relationship with my car - so that feeling tends to come and go. But it's unbelievable how much wonder and excitement I get from automobiles. Reading about them, watching them... Yeah, I'm mechanically inept and probably don't actually understand much of what's going on. But it doesn't stop that flame of boyish wonder from lighting up my day. Makes me feel alive. To know that, yeah, there's something special out there. And I love driving so much. With the costs associated with it, it can be a bit of a guilty pleasure. But what a pleasure. The air is starting to get chilly and the leaves are changing to strange hues before collecting in the gutters - winter is definitely around the corner. And with that comes the need for wearing big boots and thick gloves. And this knowledge, dawning on me over the past two weeks, has really made me realize how much I enjoy driving. Feeling the grooves in the steering wheel rhythmically run over your fingers as the wheels straighten out, and the H pattern on the shifter knob that lays under your palm. The spring of the gas pedal underneath my foot, sensing the engine's revolutions vibrate through every surface, and every bump in the road that travels up through the suspension... My word. All of that at once, on an open road with a full tank of gas and some music coming through the speakers... It's a sensory overload that's the very definition of bliss.

So, yeah. I'm thankful. And now I'm thankful and running behind on my assignment. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all.
-Cril

The London Symphony Orchestra - Life on Mars