Thanksgiving?

I enjoy Thanksgiving, don't get me wrong. I like the food (very non-traditional for my clan), I love that the day after means the start of the winter holiday phase. 

But the last couple of years I have been questioning Thanksgiving. It seems odd to me to choose one day to be thankful. And even odder to have a day to "celebrate" the American Dream. Especially in this day and age. Let me note here that I don't really buy into the concept of the American Dream as it seems to be interpreted these days. What I see is a nation of people who feel entitled. I can't imagine that the founding families felt that way. They didn't believe that they were owed anything but what they worked for. 

I think it is the little things that bug me. Little things like being angry that gas prices are going up (limited resource) or expecting something more then what was paid for or agreed upon, or buying things and using them and returning them (a sadly very common occurrence that I noticed when I worked retail). It is hard to explain, but I would wager every one knows someone who feels perpetually entitled.



I feel as though we have forgotten that "rights" are actually responsibilities. And that "rights" are just gifts that our culture allows us to have. I believe that my ability to complain about this is a gift that my government could take away and that the fact that I belong to no one is a gift as well. I also believe that we would go much further as a species if we could take a moment and remember that.