Thanksgiving Meanings

I do believe there are too many people who have the wrong idea about what today's all about. They focus on Pilgrims and Indians. If these same folks looked into the history of their relationships they would come to realize many Indigenous tribes wrought unthinkable slaughter on the new immigrants but that doesn't fit their narrative.

For me Thanksgiving is a day of reflection. I think about the man in Council Bluffs, Iowa who I call the Council Bluffs Cowboy. We see each other hardly ever. He's from my hometown and was six years ahead of me in school, yet, we maintain an email relationship on a daily basis. We're kindred spirits.

I think about a man in his class, a guy who is a very, very dear friend of mine. We've developed this relationship beginning in 1982 when he and his wife moved to Davenport. I took him a bag of vegetables I'd grown in my garden. Who would have thought veggies would lead to a life long friendship.

I could go on and on about people who are important in my life but we could all do the same. There's one last man, however, I want to mention.

He lives in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He's the best friend of my best friend who lives in Miami, Okla. called Big Buff. The man's nickname is Gator. We met on a week long fishing trip to Manitoba a few years back. He's a Christian, funny and an all-around good guy. When I left the fishing bus in Fargo on the way home he said, "I love you, MJ"

To date Gator is in a hospital in Houston shivering and puking from the massive doses of drugs he received undergoing chemo therapy.

I'm thankful Gator is my friend. Let's let it go at that.