There are far too many things to be thankful for than we can count. Here are a few you might not have thought of:
The Mediterranean island called Thera or Santorini experienced a volcanic eruption 1600 years before the common era (BC or BCE). The eruption threw a great deal of soil and rock into the atmosphere in one of the most powerful and debris-carrying eruptions in the history of our planet. The eruption deposited 200 feet of ash on the island. Those close to Mt. Helens when it erupted know about hot ash and the difficulties it creates for usual modern human life. Similarly, I understand that Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming) sits in the mouth of a volcano that seems to be late in erupting, according to what scientists have worked out about its past. The last eruption, about 60,000 years ago, deposited 15 feet of ash in Kansas, hundreds of miles away.
If you can get in and out, maybe with a little rain, ice or snow to deal with, you can be thankful.
A friend has a daughter who is in her 50's. The daughter and 7 girl friends went to the South Pacific to dive. While snorkeling, the party's boat accidentally ran over the daughter, giving her very severe injuries in several parts of her body. That happened a couple of weeks ago. The daughter was quickly flown to Australia, where she healed enough to be flown to the US. The woman is in excellent shape, is an athlete and has run many marathons. She and family and friends have been supportive and upbeat throughout.
If you haven't been sliced up by a boat propeller, far from home, you can be thankful.
A friend loves the violin, especially fiddling music. She writes that Joshua Bell, a world-class violinist gave a concert, using a 3.5 million dollar violin. Tickets averaged $100 each. The next day, he played the same music again on the same instrument in the subway tunnel. No one showed any recognition of him or the Bach music. A few people dropped money by him, totaling $32.
If you have enjoyed great music, appreciated the skill, years of study and practice, and value of the instruments used, you can be thankful.
Might be of interest:
A non-cheesy guide to gratefulness: What to read and watch | TED Blog
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Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety
