Giving Thanks!

For the past month I've read many daily What I Am Thankful For posts and I thought - lucky them! What I'm really looking forward to is the end of 2013.

But truthfully, I really do have many things to be thankful for...so I am going to create... right now a list of 28 reasons for being grateful.  No scrubbing, no editing...no second-guessing...just what pops into my head..

Here goes:

1) I am grateful for the love of my parents and the path they set me on.  The instilled in me a Do Unto Others attitude and a moral compass of right and wrong;

2) I am grateful for siblings, nieces, nephews and extended family and I love watching the next generation come into their own and have their dreams nurtured;

3) I am grateful for my health;

4) I am grateful for friends near and far who encourage me, like me, trust me and whose company I adore;

5) I am grateful for the opportunity to hear live music that fills my soul with hope and joy, and on rare occasions, allows me a cathartic cry;

6) I am grateful for other creative arts - stimulating and gripping books, movies, tv shows and plays;

7) I am grateful for my education and a life-long thirst for knowledge -- I thrive on news and current events;

8) I am grateful for a job and a team of supportive and intelligent co-workers and supervisors;

9) I am grateful for an abundance of food and a willingness to try new tastes...and wine;

10) I am grateful for a love of history -- we can't understand the present and future without an understanding and appreciation of the past.  It is a gift I received from my dad.

11) I am grateful for the ability to travel and learn about different cultures.  I prefer to experience something as a visitor, not a tourist and I get especially excited when someone asks me for directions:);

12) I am grateful for the camaraderie associated with cheering on the local team...or in my case, some Boston-area teams;

13) I am grateful for a love of animals and that I have experienced their unconditional love;

14) I am grateful for laughter -- it breaks the monotony and instantly makes me feel better;

15) I am grateful for the smell of the ocean air and fresh-cut grass, the color of leaves and being able to see stars that brighten the dark sky;

16) I am grateful for a love of the outdoors -- walking, hiking, biking, strolling along the shore, gardening etc. so many adventures have given me strength ;

17) I am grateful for the change of  seasons -- as much as I abhor cold weather these days, I really would be disappointed with uniformity;

18) I am grateful for kind neighbors -- both mine and those of my mom...the latter brings me peace of mind;

19) I am grateful for not being as caught up in material things anymore...it frees me up to enjoy simpler pleasures;

20) I am grateful for public transportation -- no car means being at the mercy of  trains and buses and my own two feet;

21) I am grateful for what I get from volunteering;

22) I am grateful for solitude and meditation -- it really does help me to work things out;

23) I am grateful for faith and spirituality;

24) I am grateful the kindness of strangers -- it really does make the world go round;

25) I am grateful for a treasure-trove of photos that translate into fond memories and a chronicle of my history;

26) I am grateful for slowly understanding that there are certain things I can't change but at the same time, I will never stop dreaming;

27) I am grateful for street smarts -- sometimes the worst situations teach us how strong we can be;

28) and,  I am grateful if anyone reads this...

The End of an Era

On Wednesday they’re coming to tow it away…

I’m not one to anthropomorphize things BUT it’s hard not to think of a car as a member of the family when it's been a part of your life for more than 10 years.

So many road-trips, so much laughter, so much gasoline consumed…

But several months ago she broke down on my way to the airport to fly to Connecticut and it is cost-prohibitive to fix. One of the cylinders malfunctioned requiring a re-build of the engine.  My honest but naive response to the mechanic was ‘But why can’t it run on the other five cylinders?’  I still don’t think it’s a far-fetched question or one that should evoke laughter:)

The car has been sitting in my parking space for months while I dithered about what to do with it.  Frankly doing nothing seemed the best option.

But the time has come to act and let it go…

I’m not getting a replacement – I have been going car-less for six months already and while it does take planning and a knowledge of and reliance on a sometimes unreliable public transportation system, I am coping.  I love to walk and I am grateful to live just a few blocks from the Metro and bus routes.  Simple errands often take longer, volunteering at night is more difficult due to bus schedules and I haven't faced walking in the cold yet, but so far I am managing quite well. For longer trips, I have become a savvy renter.

Most locales are public-transit friendly – and with the advent of weekend Marc-train service, the commute to BWI airport will get easier.  But Annapolis – I’m looking to you to change your ways.  No state capital should be so cut off from surrounding metro areas.

So good-bye Chevy Malibu – thanks for the memories!

Your Ballot Has Been Cast

This is not a post about who to support but rather why I always vote.

I’ve seen some snippets of celebrities squawking about how they've never voted and urging people not to vote…I just shake my head in dismay and hope people don’t listen.  Not voting simply means you are ceding your power, your voice.  You don’t like something -- get involved and change it; don’t sit on the sidelines and grouse about it.

Sure, I will be the first to acknowledge that we don’t always run the best candidates but that’s our fault for not demanding better candidates starting at the local level.  Every four years people get energized for a Presidential election but if Virginia showed us anything in the last four years it is that down-state races are almost more important.  Education, women’s health, transit, roads, energy, environment and gun safety are all decided at the state and local levels.  And around the country states are voting for equality and healthy food too.  Further the very gridlock that encapsulates our federal system today is exacerbated by political gerrymandering at the state level.  Think you don’t have a reason to vote in an off-year election – think again.  It is the states that draw up the districts. It's time to restore some balance!

And don’t get me started about the Citizen’s United decision…

I’m disappointed in many of our elected officials for putting party, ego, fundraising and in some cases hatred above the good of the citizenry, city, state and country.  I’ve toyed with the idea of term limits but in the end that takes away my power to say ‘Yes, you are doing a good job’ or ‘No you are not doing a good job.’   I don’t like to wrest the power from the people/decision-makers in the same way I hate Three Strikes and Your Out – cases should be decided on merits and a case by case basis but that’s for another blog.

So, we have an imperfect system but it is what we have right now.  Yes, it’s time to hold our elected officials accountable but it also means that we need to get involved.  Learn what an issue really means for yourself, your family and your community. An energized and informed electorate can elicit change and even if you don’t have a lot of time, social media can be a big help. 

In a few hours races around the country will end and thankfully, so will the ads and mailers and phone callsJ Whether or not your candidate won does not signify the end of the road…stay involved, talk to your neighbors, work together and make your community better.  And think about running for office yourself!