Plenty to Be Thankful For

Nov 22, 2017
This is our last edition before the Thanksgiving holiday. Like most of you, we're taking the rest of the week off for some invaluable family time.

After all, it's the start of the holiday season and run-up to the wind down of 2017.

It's safe to say that 2017 has been "different" in almost every sense of the word.

We've seen natural catastrophes in abundance, inexplicable tragedies aplenty and it has seemed at times the whole world had come completely unhinged.

But we're still here and chugging along, although some are showing the wear and tear more than others.

Our national "leaders" aren't looking so hot. They're feeling uncomfortable for a lot of reasons. One is the risk of being accused of some indiscretion. Every leader in business, government and society is fearful of being accused of something- real or imagined. Not everyone is guilty of anything, but everyone's feeling the pressure.

I spoke with a social scientist about the #metoo syndrome. She says we're facing a unique "social situation" with no simple answers.

"Never before," she explained, "have people taken current social 'sensitivities' and applied them retroactively to yesterday's social norms."

Without a doubt, she says we're living in the most hyper-sensitized society ever. But she took a pass at trying to explain why. Characterizing it as "overly sensitive" would, she explained, undoubtedly make some people uncomfortable.

And there's a backlash when any of those hair triggers are tripped. She actually warned me to expect negative responses to even raising the issue.

So....I won't.

We're going into a holiday created to focus us on the good in our lives, not the irritants. And for a majority of us, there's still far more good than bad happening-although the good gets especially short shrift today.

If you're in a great spot, I share your sense of celebration. But I'd challenge you to share that good fortune with someone going through a rough patch.

Sometimes, a simple word of encouragement or friendship is all it takes to help someone keep going.

Tomorrow, my family begins arriving for Thanksgiving and I can hardly wait for us to be together again. It's taken me years to realize that friends and family are more important than things or places. Where we are together isn't nearly so important as simply being together.

Might sound strange, but I consider you part of my circle of friends. And I hope you enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving.

--Jim Shepherd