Last week, I was waiting for inspiration for a column. You have to wait for the idea to come, you can’t force it. The ideas are all around like airwaves but you have to be set on the right frequency for them to come blasting in.
My problem was that I had been thinking this weekend was Thanksgiving and maybe that should be my topic. Now, nothing else is coming in but Thanksgiving. Playwright Noel Coward explains, “Writing is easy, get a pen and paper and start to think very hard. After a while, drops of blood appear on your forehead and the words come shortly after.”
I decided to get my mind off it and go grocery shopping. A quick check of the fridge shows I have a bunch of leftovers to throw out. Uneaten meat and vegetables go into the recycling or the compost. I scoop up my money off the dresser and head out, making a note to go to the bank machine.
It is a cool fall day, but on the weekend I bought a new lined jacket and it seems perfect for the day.
I see the gas prices have dropped so I decide to fill up. A full tank still comes to $100, but I have my pensions and some part-time work so I can afford the gas as it fluctuates up and down.Still nothing comes to help with the column.
In the grocery store I meet a buddy who has been struggling with health issues. He’s on the mend but still has a way to go. He has had a tough year financially and emotionally as well.
I have been able to keep my weight down and keep active and I feel pretty good. Too many guys I retired with are either sick or gone. I guess I’m lucky.
I fill up the cart with things I need and some I don’t need. There is a great price on turkeys today. I will probably get a couple of invites for Thanksgiving dinner, maybe I can write about family gatherings but I’ve already done that.
I will probably take my Mom over to my sister’s for dinner, or my daughter is a great cook and always has a big meal. With any luck, one will be having it on Sunday and the other on Monday and I can get to both. On top of that I always buy my own small bird to cook so I’ll have something here at home to pick on. No ideas for the column yet.
On the way home, the wind and rain have picked up, and as I pull in the driveway I’m glad I put the new roof on last spring and fixed the gutters. Lots of storms to come and nobody likes a leaky roof.
I sit down at the computer. My thoughts have been all over the place. Food in the fridge, money in the bank, warm clothes, good health, reliable transportation, friends and family close by, warm and dry shelter and maybe two Thanksgiving meals. All this running through my mind, but no inspiring thoughts about Thanksgiving. The answer is close, but I can’t put my finger on it.
What if I’m looking for a big answer to the big picture when all I really have to do is get down on my knees and say thanks for all the little things? Happy Thanksgiving, at least that’s what McGregor says.
