Thanks!

Sydney, Me, Michele, Connor and Faith.
My family.

Well, with tomorrow being Thanksgiving, I thought I would do that thing that so many bloggers do these days and talk about what I am thankful for.

First and foremost is life. I have an extraordinarily good life right now. I have a steady job that pays decent, and would be difficult to get fired from, unless I REALLY tried. I have three loving kids who love me unconditionally, even though sometimes I’m kind of a failure as a dad on some levels. And I have the most amazing wife a man could dream up. She is beautiful, funny, nerdy, geeky, and several other qualities I love. I can’t imagine life without her in it now.

I’m thankful for my talents. I’m a pretty decent writer, with a good grasp of the English language. I understand what makes a good story, even if I am still learning how to use that knowledge. I can draw fairly well, at least better than stick figures. And I have an eye for the artistic, to some extent. I have other talents I am thankful for, but we don’t need to get into those here.

As a friend of mine recently stated in his blog, I am also thankful for my stuff. We have a decent apartment to live in, the neighborhood may not be the best, but it’s a far cry from the ghetto. I just recently bought a new(er) car that I LOVE. I have a computer, a smart phone, a Blu-Ray player, and a large plasma TV. Yeah, I got cool stuff, and I love that I do. I also have a healthy collection of old comics, and many, many books that will one day see a nice bookshelf, instead of boxes in storage.

I have friends. Lots of friends. Some old that I’ve known for decades, some new that I only just recently met. Some I have spent many hours and days with in person, and others that I have only communicated with online. Some that I have learned many things from, and others who are eagerly receptive to what knowledge I have. I have friends I talk to almost daily, and others with whom I have shared very little communication, but they are still there, and I still consider them my friends.

I’m thankful for my memories and experiences. Without them, good or bad, I would not be who or where I am today. Sure, I have regrets. But who doesn’t? I wish I had played high school football. I wish I would have tried to get into Special Forces. I wish I would have moved to LA and pursued my dream of making it in Hollywood. But, hey, if I had done any one of those, where and who would I be today?

In short, I am thankful for all that I have, and all that I am. But most importantly, I am thankful that I have a future. Though there will be dark periods, and some points in my life will no doubt be very difficult (as my past has already illustrated), I know that in the end, I will come out ahead. And mainly thanks to the aforementioned things I am already thankful for. Life is funny that way.

But, at this moment, I am thankful that I am about to have a 4-day weekend. And I am thankful that you came here to hear me ramble for a bit. That means a lot to me.

God bless, and have a happy Thanksgiving!