"Thankful!"

It's time to Break It Down!

Tomorrow is the tenth and final Thanksgiving Day in the first decade of the 21st Century. It is rather difficult to fathom that the world pretty much kicked-off this decade…and century preoccupied with Y2K, and the quandary over whether & how we could avoid mass chaos. An entire cottage industry sprang up to help ensure that we could solve the inherent mysteries of VCR’s, watches, cameras, and especially computers; basically all things digital. Alas, we survived.

Now that we are officially entering the year-end Holiday Season, I am mindful that schedules morph frequently, unexpectedly, and of course, unpredictably. To that end, who knows whether you will even look at your personal e-mail box for days? Not to worry; I promise, not only to keep it brief, but to reprise one of my favorites from the archives. If you don’t mind my saying so, it is especially well-suited to the occasion.

Sure, as with any other week, there is a continuous cycle of breaking news that I could dissect. But the truth is, by the time I post this edition of the blog, many of you will have transitioned to travel or vacation/staycation mode already. With that reality in mind, I am going to revisit, and gently amend my 2007 list of the “Top 10 Things For Which I Am Thankful":

#10) Basketball - Pee Wee, high school, college, NBA; basketball is fantastic. I have played the game for more than 40 years. It is a source of enjoyment and relaxation, as well as a catalyst for spirited debate. In a nutshell, it is therapeutic. I am at peace.

#9) Talent, ability, and resourcefulness to earn a living - Each of us is endowed by our creator with an enormous array of skills, talents, abilities, and potential. Having the wherewithal and opportunity to employ one’s gifts in productive and useful pursuits is a blessing of the highest order. I am blessed.

#8) Knowledge that I am bigger than my doubters - In life we all encounter obstacles; it is incredibly important to refuse to be diminished or deterred by detractors, skeptics, and cynics. It is even better to use the negativism generated by these haters as fuel for personal growth. I am growing.

#7) Wisdom and examples of elders and Griots - It is often said we should learn from our mistakes. However, very often those who passed this way before, parents, and advisers, extend themselves by sharing the lessons of their challenges. As a rule of thumb it is better, as well as less costly and painful, to learn from others’ mistakes, rather than our own. I am open to learn for others.

#6) Intellectual curiosity - The world is hugely complex and growing more so, daily. Successful navigation requires a certain child-like inquisitive nature; a willingness to suspend belief in boundaries, limitations, and impediments, and instead surmise that every question has a complementary answer, every challenge, a gallant conqueror, and every potential failure, a Phoenix-like solution. I am rising.

#5) Teachers, professors, advisers, and counselors - The United Negro College Fund popularized the phrase, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” No individual or group of professionals is more undervalued in our society than those who embrace the essential work of taking young, eager, flexible minds and shaping them into vessels that will serve as personal on-board computers and navigation systems for the next 70 to 100 years. I am a still-evolving product of the labor of many dedicated, creative, and effective teachers.

#4) Friends and loved ones – We are challenged to transform our existence from merely making a living to enjoying a fully engaged, fruitful, and productive life. No single factor is more critical to maximizing life’s bountiful range of experiences than the players present in one’s inner circle. These persons see us as we are; faults and all…and love us anyway. I am inspired by my friends and loved ones.

#3) Life, health, strength, and vigor - It goes without saying; most of our fondest desires can be experienced, only if we have at least a modicum of life, health, strength, and vigor. As long as we have a reasonable portion of these commodities, we have endless possibilities to shape our own destiny. I am alive, healthy, strong, and vigorous.

#2) Parents; may mine rest in peace - Parenthood is a calling. Not everyone is cut out for it. It is a lifetime sentence, complete with a never-diminishing commitment. However, when done well, it is also the most rewarding experience known to humans. I am fortunate to have had parents who not only gave me great advice, but who also provided me phenomenal examples.

#1) Understanding God is good…all the time! - In 2 Corinthians 12:9, God advises: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” My parents, my life, my friends, my teachers, my intellect, my elders, my knowledge, my talent, and yes, even my affinity for basketball are all gifts…from God. I am the humble benefactor of His glorious goodness, grace, and tender mercy. Amen!


As you head off to enjoy time with friends and family, take this original Holiday Haiku, from me, made especially for you and this Thanksgiving Day.

“A Thanksgiving wish:
Eat, drink, and be quite merry,
Peace be unto you!”

That’s it for me.

Happy Thanksgiving; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult my original post, “It’s Thanksgiving, Right?” – November 21, 2007 - 12:55 AM.