Photograph of the Day: Boardwalk

Credit: Chateau Fontenac Boardwalk Castle Clouds Quebec by Philipp Klinge @Pixdaus.com

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The Act of Giving Thanks

The First Thanksgiving

Today is a traditional day in the United States and Canada.  It is called Thanksgiving Day. This special day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in Canada and the United States. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express  gratitude in general.   While perhaps religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday.

The traditional “first Thanksgiving” is the celebration that occurred at the site of Plymouth Plantation, in 1621.  Elementary school teacher Robyn Gioia has argued that the earliest attested “thanksgiving” celebration in what is now the United States was celebrated by the Spanish on September 8, 1565 in what is now Saint Augustine, Florida.

Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States.  Thanksgiving dinner is held on this day, usually as a gathering of family members and friends.

Expressing gratitude is a core social value.  We have to be thankful for the many things we receive each day.  The  bright sunshine, clean fresh air, political liberties, the gift of life, food on the table and a trillion of other things we take for granted.

We  don’t celebrate Thanksgiving Day in Panama.  However, I know many families who express appreciation to other people, and of course our Good Lord, for favors and blessings received.  For example, my wife and I pray at the table before eating.  For us having food on the table every day, is a blessing from our Lord.  I know of people who go to sleep with an empty stomach.  That is sad.  At night, we also pray together, and thank our Lord for having lived another day.  Just being alive and breathing is a blessing so big, I have no idea how to express it in words.

To each and every one of you, my dear readers of Lingua Franca, Happy Thanksgiving! It feels great to be alive and well!  Good Day.

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Joke: Canadian Currency

Bob, a middle-aged Canadian tourist on his first visit to Orlando, Florida, finds the red-light district and enters a large brothel. The madam asks him to be seated and sends over a young lady to entertain him.

They sit and talk, frolic a little, giggle a bit, drink a bit, and she sits on his lap. He whispers in her ear and she gasps and runs away! Seeing this, the madam sends over a more experienced lady to entertain the gentleman.

They sit and talk, frolic a little, giggle a bit, drink a bit, and she sits on his lap. He whispers in her ear, and she too screams: “No!” and walks quickly away.

The madam is surprised that this ordinary looking man has asked for something so outrageous that her two girls will have nothing to do with him. She decides that only her most experienced lady, Lola, will do. Lola has never said no, and it’s not likely anything would surprise her. So the madam sends her over to Bob. They sit and talk, frolic a little, giggle a bit, drink a bit, and she sits on his lap. He whispers in her ear and she screams: “NO WAY, BUDDY!” and smacks him as hard as she can and leaves.

The madam is by now absolutely intrigued, having seen nothing like this in all her years of operating a brothel. She hasn’t done the bedroom work herself for a long time, but she’s sure she has said yes to everything a man could possibly ask for. She just has to find out what this man wants that has made her girls so angry. Besides she sees a chance to teach her employees a lesson.

So she goes over to Bob and says that she’s the best in the house and is available. She sits and talks with him. They frolic, giggle, drink, and then she sits in his lap.

Bob leans forwards and whispers in her ear: “Can I pay in Canadian currency?”

Source:  Bits & Pieces

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