Thanksgiving 2010

Every year at this time in the month of November/ I like to slow down, settle back and remember/ The reasons I’m grateful and glad to be here/ And why I say thank you, at least once a year

I try to resist my old habit of stress/ About things that are bad, and unfair and a mess/ So I’m taking a break from the broken and wrong/ And making my list, which I hope will be long

Living at all is, quite frankly, amazing/ And when I slow down I see plenty worth praising/ Like roses and fruit trees and wonderful friends/ And the way that an earthworm can crawl from both ends

I don’t mean to be arrogant, snobbish or haughty/ But I really am grateful to live in this body/ The muscles and nerves and the senses all work/ The eyeballs still roll and the shoulders still shirk

The systems take in and put out what they should/ And the arms and the legs do their job pretty good/ The more that I notice the more that I’ve found/ What good fortune I have to be walking around

When I stop and reflect on the good things in life/ Like my health and my neighbors, my town and my wife/ I find myself calmer, more peaceful, less tense/ My mind is much clearer, my humor less dense

I’m thankful to have good clean water to drink/ Which miraculously comes — hot and cold — from the sink/ I’m thankful for plumbing, for books and for tea/ And OK, I confess, for our flat screen TV

I’m thankful for evenings with cats on our laps/ For the freedom to loaf and to take peaceful naps/ I’m thankful for comfort, for time to relax / And the good chiropractors who work on our backs

I’m thankful for progress that’s making things better/ (as well as for rain, which is making things wetter)/ And even though most of my spending is frugal/ I do like my everyday access to Google

I know that I’m privileged, I’m thankful as hell/ That I’m able to read and to write and to spell/ I’m thankful for all those who struggled before/ For my freedom to vote, which I never ignore

I like to consider my reason for living/ And make something real of this time of Thanksgiving/ I live to tell everyone else here on earth/ That there’s no need to hate, that we all have our worth

Try seeing the good within all kinds of folks/ And refrain from the insults and prejudiced jokes/ Don’t pick on the queer kids, stop teasing the sissies/ They’re struggling enough with Descartes and Ulysses

Stop making us suffer, especially the kids/ There’s no need to panic, stop flipping your lids/ Gay people are here, we’re not going away/ You might as well recognize queers are OK

It’s fine if we marry, it does no one harm/ To honor a bride with a bride on her arm/ Or a groom with a groom, what is it to you?/ Just open your heart, you’ll be glad when you do

When meeting somebody who’s gay, bi or trans/ Try being friendly, be one of their fans/ You might find your view of the world will be changed/ To learn we’re not pedophiles, sick or deranged

Queer people like me want the same things as you/ To be safe, to be loved, to have something to do/ That leads to fulfillment, the joy to be living/ And things to be thankful for every Thanksgiving

And you, as you’re reading this, are you not glad/ That all things considered, life isn’t so bad?/ Let’s keep that in mind, take some time and remember/ To say thanks a lot in this month of November

Sally Sheklow has been a part of the Eugene community since 1972 and is a member of the WYMPROV! comedy troupe. Her column, which began at EW in 1999, also runs in several other newspapers and magazines around the country and Down Under.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!