By VERNON ROBISON
Lately it seems like the United States has become a nation of malcontents. Complaining has turned into the new national pasttime. And nearly everyone is doing it these days!
Of course, politics has always provided something to grumble about. But the negativity seems particularly rampant nowadays. In recent years the tenor of the political discourse has gone completely off the rails in Washington, in state capitals and even in local governments. It is a constant, vicious battle that no one ever wins.
This national tendency toward endless complaining and arguing has bled into nearly every level of American society. Just ten minutes on TV news, or a quick scroll through social media, will bear this out. The endless variety of things to complain about is staggering.
The vaxers hate the anti-vaxers. The maskers hate the anti-maskers. And vice versa, ad nauseum.
The earth is heating up and mankind may not survive another generation, so we must do something drastic now! No, global warming is all just a dastardly ploy to undermine my freedoms.
America is a systemically racist nation and revolutionary measures must be taken now to force people’s minds and hearts to change. No, that argument is just an attempt to whitewash our national heritage, program our children and cancel our culture.
The rich people are getting richer, the poor people are getting poorer, and the middle class is disappearing. What are we to do about it?
The southern border is in crisis with illegal immigrants pouring into this country. We can’t afford it and nothing is being done about it.
The waitress at our neighborhood restaurant was rude to us. Can you imagine? She deserves to have her name posted on social media for all to see. A little public shaming will serve her right.
People are burning leaves down the street and I can smell it through the open window. How dare anyone challenge my right to burn leaves in my own backyard!
Our highway is way too bumpy. No wait, they are finally here to fix it…but I really hate all of these pointless traffic delays. And finally, the road is finished now and the crews are gone, but what a horrible job they did!
In all of these cases, and so many more, once the complaint is aired both sides come rushing in fully loaded, with a carefully rehearsed attack designed to make the other side feel stupid, worthless and wrong.
This is no way to solve problems. Drive-by complaints don’t fix anything. Instead things just fester, opponents become deeper entrenched, resentment grows and nothing is accomplished.
Is there a cure for this pandemic of protest? Yes. And just by happenstance we are actually celebrating it this week.
The secret cure is a return to Thanksgiving!
Yes a lousy chipseal on an already crumbling highway is a cheap, shoddy, half-way effort. But we can be grateful for paved roads that make transportation through town safe and easy. They haven’t always been paved in our communities, you know.
Yes the waitress in the neighborhood cafe may have been out of line. But we can be grateful that the cafe is open and that we can sit down and eat there. We can be grateful that we can afford to buy a meal and that there is nutritious, safe, clean food available to us. We can even be grateful that the waitress has a job to support her family.
Yes, our nation continues to face many challenges in its ever-widening divide between the haves and the have nots. But we can be grateful for the boundless opportunities that it offers its people.
Yes there are still remnants of deep-seated inequity, unfairness and hypocrisy here. But Americans can feel grateful for the lofty founding principles which have withstood the test of time and have guided the nation in an ongoing evolution toward becoming the most inclusive, fair and equal society in history.
Of course, we still have poverty, hunger and neglect. But we can be grateful that we, in the U.S., enjoy prosperity to a degree that is only dreamed about in other places of the world. No wonder so many people want to come here.
I’m sure there is even something to be grateful about in our neighbors’ stinking, smouldering leaf pile.
Giving thanks defuses all complaints. Expressing sincere gratitude can build positive relationships and neutralize even the nastiest of arguments. Humbly acknowledging the richness of one’s blessings is a powerful healing agent against the bitterness, pessimism and skepticism that plagues our modern society.
That is what has kept the American holiday of Thanksgiving relevant over its history. It was relevant to the early pilgrims of the Plymouth colony. It was relevant when it was celebrated by George Washington after key Revolutionary War victories. It was relevant toward the end of the Civil War when President Lincoln first proclaimed it as a national holiday. And most of all, it is relevant today amid the bitter darkness of our social media winter of discontent.
So take a moment to look around you this Thanksgiving. Take note of all there is for which you can be grateful. It could change your whole perspective.
Finally, I would just express gratitude for the small communities where I have served and worked for going on 18 years now. I also give thanks for a wonderful team of writers, photographers and other staffers at The Progress who are devoted every week to covering our communities like no one else.
Finally, I am truly grateful to you, the faithful readers; and to our supportive local business advertisers; all of which make the work of The Progress possible.
Happy Thanksgiving to all, and thank you for reading The Progress!
