So what triggered this unexpected outburst? I was watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade when one of the commentators commented that this (meaning the parade) was what Thanksgiving was all about. Now, I realize he didn’t mean that literally but for many of us it has become more about the parade and turkey than anything else.

As for what it is supposed to be about, well, duh. The answer is in the name: thanks giving. So with that out of the way, what are we giving thanks for and to whom? That, I think, is where some of us part company. Many believe and, in fact, most schools teach that thanksgiving originated with the Pilgrims as a celebration of the harvest to thank the Indians for teaching them domestic agriculture. While that makes for a nice, tidy story that conveniently skirts any mention of God, it simply isn’t true.

You only have to look as far as the whole purpose of the pilgrim’s journey to know what they were about. The part of the Mayflower compact that talks about the purpose of their very journey begins “Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith…” It was ultimately about the freedom to practice Christianity based on biblical principals and not the political ones laid down by the Church of England.

Their thanks giving feast was one of thanking God, not unlike the ancient Hebrew and, indeed, modern Jewish celebrations of Succoth and Passover. Their journey was a hard one and approximately half of them died that first winter. Think about that for a moment. You embark on a brutally difficult journey to a new land with a group of people and after months at sea you arrive, only to watch one out of every two of your companions die unpleasant deaths. And life didn’t grow significantly easier for them in the ensuing months either. And yet there they were, throwing a feast thanking God for what they have. Um, wow.

We’ve begun a tradition in my family where each day in November each of us writes down one thing we are thankful for and we review those on thanksgiving. While I think that is an important lesson for the kids (us too for that matter), I look now at the things on our lists as I consider how thankful they were for what little they had those many years ago and it is a bit embarrassing in contrast. It really highlights the indulgent lifestyle we have and just how much we have to be thankful for. The impoverished and homeless here have it far better than those at the top of the Pilgrim’s hierarchy.

Every day in America should be thanksgiving. So instead of gorging on turkey and watching the parade, shouldn’t we find a few minutes to thank God for all he has given us? Is saying grace at the table really sufficient? Look around you and consider then do whatever you feel is right. At least for me, the prayer over the meal doesn’t begin to cover it.

Well, I am off to the family again. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. I sincerely hope each of you have a blessed Thanksgiving and may God continue to bless you and yours in the coming months.

/g

OK, they’ve done it. They’ve finally done it. They have made me write my first crotchety old man post. I was listening to the radio yesterday and heard a song called “Addicted” by the band Saving Abel. I’d heard it before but hadn’t actually listened to the lyrics. Now, let me start out by saying that I am not a prude or even close to it. I may not like the state of what passes for morality these days, but I know the score. I really don’t offend easily but when I actually listened to that song I realized that the lyrics are grossly inappropriate for radio. Well, they’re inappropriate in any context if I’m being completely honest, but even more so on a mainstream radio station. So you know what I am talking about here are the first several lines from the song:

I'm so addicted to
All the things you do
When you're going down on me
In between the sheets
Or the sound you make
With every breath you take
It's unlike anything
When you're loving me

Oh girl lets take it slow
So as for you,
Well you know where to go
I want to take my love
And hate you til the end

I won’t even bother to dissect that little bit of prose. If you need it explained, you really shouldn’t be reading this to begin with. I’m not naïve and I know that there have been lyrics that bad and worse for many years but it used to be that those were only heard by those who bought the album, not on the radio. I grew up when songs like “Pour Some Sugar on Me” got tons of airplay. Rather or not that was also inappropriate is a whole other discussion but at least, at least the overt sexual references were made metaphorically. These lyrics are not just explicit, they are crass.

What ever happened to radio versions of songs? Well, I guess that concept still exists somewhat because on the same station I’ve heard sanitized versions of other songs where drug references are omitted, if just barely. Why that and not this? While I’m on the subject I have another ax to grind. Why is it where ever the term “God damn” is used they bleep “God” and not “damn”? I mean, really. Can someone please explain the thought process that led to that practice? I guess they think we find God more offensive than expletives. By they I mean the brain dead morons at the broadcasting companies, of course. Which would you rather have your child ask:”What does God mean?” or “What does damn mean?” I sincerely hope they wouldn’t have to ask the former, but you get my point. And I know there will be someone who reads this and thinks that I’m overreacting. I would just ask that if that’s you, please email me your phone number. That way, if my kids do somehow hear that song I can call and let you explain it to my six year old when she asks me “Daddy, what does ‘going down on’ mean?” On second thought, nevermind. I’ll field that one, you just stay clear of my kids. Thanks.

You see, I used to listen to the radio in my car when the kids were along. Then it got where the subject matter in the morning and afternoon talk shows were bad enough I couldn’t listen to them with children present. I usually wouldn’t even when alone for that matter. But at least we could listen to the radio the rest of the day when they are actually playing music. We can’t even do that anymore. You just never know what is going to come out of the speakers.

The frustrating thing is that it need not be that way. Equally popular is the song “1,2,3,4″ by Plain White T’s that could’ve been ripped straight from out of the 50′s. Here is the first little bit of that song’s lyrics:

Give me more loving than I’ve ever had
Make me feel better when I’m feeling sad
Tell me I’m special even when I know I’m not
Make it feel good when it hurts so bad
Barely get mad
I’m so glad I found you
I love being around you
You make it easy

It's as easy as 1-2-1-2-3-4
There’s only one thing two do
three words four you...
(I love you) I love you
There’s only one way two say
Those three words
And that’s what I’ll do...
(I love you) I love you

See? Isn’t that nice? OK, so that may be the other extreme, but I’m OK with that. You know, I’m not one of those people who think that any and all sexual references in songs are inappropriate. I’m really not. I think music, or at least good music, is not just listened to, it is experienced. Listening to music that finds you where you are can be a visceral experience. That music both expresses and invokes strong emotion. Given that the most intense human emotions revolve around love, including physical expression of it, I would find it odd it the topic didn’t come up fairly often in music.

Look, I’m not picking on Saving Abel here. The thing that annoys me most, in fact, is how much I liked the song before I stopped and listened to it. And now I can’t. Not all of their music is objectionable and they are far from the only ones out there today spewing garbage onto our airwaves. All I’m asking is this: Keep it tasteful. It doesn’t have to be explicit and it certainly doesn’t need to be crude. If it is, let those who want to buy it listen to it. I don’t need that much detail about you via public broadcast. I think the term is T.M.I. That’s all I’m sayin’. Now, if you’ll excuse me while I go put my soap box back in the closet. In the mean time, thanks for listening.

/g