Quotations Weblog

With all of the preparations for Thanksgiving, it’s always a good practice to remember why we are celebrating this holiday. Just like the pilgrims were overwhelmed with gratitude at being saved by the Indians at the start of the harsh winter, we should take a moment to reflect on what we are thankful for and why the act of gratitude is so important.

See all the quotations on Gratitude here:

• Gratitude Quotes – The Quotations Page

I love this quote because I have felt it so many times. Being an atheist isn’t as easy as you might think it is. Sure, there are no lengthy church services to endure, but facing the void of the unknown alone is a difficult task. Far more difficult than a few Hail Marys.

We are embarking on Thanksgiving and there will be prayers before the big meal. There are so many things that I am thankful for this year. I may not be able to thank a divine being for the gifts that have been bestowed on me, but that doesn’t make me any less grateful.

Here is a quick list of the things I’m thankful for this year:

• Being a full-time writer.
• Having a wonderful, funny and smart husband.
• Having a sister who is a best friend.
• Having a brother-in-law who is better than a brother.
• Having a mother who always knows the right thing to say.
• Having a supportive community of friends.
• Having a computer that works so I can write without restrictions.
• Having a loyal group of readers who find what I have to say interesting enough to keep coming back. (Thanks, guys!)

I could go on listing all the other things that I am grateful for in my life. This list is just a beginning for me. Whether you have a god to thank or not, please make your own list and make it known to the world.

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching. Here is some advice from the greats on how to deal with the holiday in a healthy manner:

Especially if it’s pie crust…

Last night, Mike and I went to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Condensing a 734-page book down to a two and half hour movie is a difficult task, especially when most of the audience has already read the book.

They did an excellent job on the movie. They were able to tell the whole story without cutting the essential elements of it all. I would have liked to see more of the torture that Rita Skeeter put Harry through with her stories in the Daily Prophet and I would have also enjoyed seeing her just desserts at the end, but Rita Skeeter was a minor character. They were able to bring about the most important elements of the book to the big screen and I’m so thankful we didn’t have to endure an hour-long segment on the Quidditch World Cup.

I read the book when it first came out and added the following quotations to our collection. Not one of them made it into the movie, however.

This quote is the closest one that made it into the movie. The movie made it better, however.

The quote from the book leaves it open, but the movie made it much more definitive.

It seems like there is no age where the human race hasn’t been bombarded with propaganda. Ever since man learned to communicate, it seems that we have been telling each other what we should think. How can I ensure that I am the chess player, not the chess piece? I am an all-or-nothing kind of person. I only know two ways to ensure that I am the chess player: become uber-informed or take myself out of the game.

Uber-Informed:

We are lucky. We live in the information age. There is so much information on the Internet that we can be inundated with it. We can become buried by it. The best option is to read both sides: the liberal and conservative. No matter how you usually lean, being able to see both viewpoints of every issue is the only true way that you can know that you are the chess player and not the chess piece. Understanding the concerns of each opposing side of the issues will set you free.

Get Out of the Game:

This option seems to be a growing concern. Many people have decided to just take themselves out of the game. It doesn’t matter to them which side wins. It doesn’t matter which side makes concessions. All that matters is staying out of the fray. If you don’t vote, you don’t have a voice, but you don’t need to scream your head off and still be unheard.

I must admit that I usually choose the Get Out of the Game Option. There were so many unheard protests during my youth that I have decided to save my voice for myself. I will use my voice to shout out the joys of the world instead of speaking out about the atrocities. I’m not ignoring the atrocities, I just have chosen to conserve my energy. I feel powerless against them, so I have chosen to remove myself from the conflict.

It may seem like the cowards way out, but it’s the only way I can assure that I am the chess player in my life.