Thanksgiving - 2013 #2 Turkey Trots & Thanksgiving Thoughts

While I enjoy Thanksgiving it is by no means my favorite holiday. Don't get me wrong I love the idea of "giving thanks" but if there is anything that I have learned the past few years it is that we should try to "give thanks" every day. For that reason I believe that while we may celebrate Thanksgiving on the 4th Thursday of November every year, we should celebrate what we have to be thankful for daily. No matter how bad a day may seem, if you look there will be something to bring some happiness to your day.

While preparing for blog entries the past couple of years I have spent a lot of time going through pictures and "stuff" that I have accumulated in 65 years. Needless to say all of this walking "down memory lane" has brought back a lot of memories and while all of them certainly aren't of good things or good times, the good far outweigh the bad. It is that realization that has helped to strengthen my resolve to try to focus on being thankful daily. Not always easy but worth the effort.

Obviously it is easier to be thankful if you are happy and while that is not always easy I found a great guideline for happiness in a recent book that I read; Mind Over Water - Lessons on Life From the Art of Rowing by Craig Lambert. He said:

"There are two ways to be happy. First, everyone's favorite route, Plan A: we can get what we want. Then there is Plan B: we can like what we have. Of the two, Plan B is by far the more important skill to master. First, it generates happiness right now, not in some hypothetical future when we "get what we want." Second, if we lack this skill, we won't be happy -- despite our imaginings -- even when we get what we want because then, that will be what we have. There is no future happiness."

The message that I choose to take from that quote is simply "be happy now". Am I naive enough to suggest that it is easy? Nope! But I am encouraged enough by my own experience to believe that it is possible. I hope that it is for those of you reading this as well.

THANKSGIVING - 1968

Donna, Me, John, Rob & Carol

Me & Mom

These pictures were taken on Thanksgiving weekend in 1968. While I was stationed in Memphis going to school my family moved from California to Fort Collins, Colorado. So when I got leave between my school assignment and my assignment to more school in VA 125 for A4 training in Lemoore I first flew to Colorado for Thanksgiving. Other than these pictures I really don't remember much about the trip. From there I flew back to California where I spent the remainder of my leave before reporting to Lemoore. (The pictures aren't great but they are after all almost 50 years old).

THANKSGIVING RACES

New Mexico - In the '80's

Awards were Turkeys, Chickens & Cornish Game Hens

Throughout the years I've run "Turkey Trots"  from time to time, this year was the first time that I did two of them the same Thanksgiving weekend. My first was the Turlock Turkey Trot and was a 2 mile race back at Donnelly Park. It was the 29th annual which would lead you to believe that they might have organization down. That was certainly not the case. Once again, no restrooms except one park restroom at the starting line, the other restroom in a different area of the park wasn't even open. Fortunately I went there expecting something like that and allowed myself enough time to drive to Walmart after warming up to use the restroom. I don't understand any race, particularly one hosting family races and bragging about an "all time record number of entries" not providing appropriate facilities. Oh well, it is what it is and it is over. 

What could possibly go wrong here with almost 300 competitors and hundreds of spectators and officials? :)

The prizes were for overall and age group were supposed to be turkeys, chickens, eggs and pumpkin pies, additionally they were going to have a raffle. As it turned out they dropped all of the runner tags from the kid's mile race so they couldn't determine places, because of that they apparently decided to not recognize award winners in the two mile race either and all of the awards went into the raffle. I hung around through the "raffle that wouldn't end" in hopes that they would post the official results for our race but, nope! We were told that the results would be placed on the city website. That was two weeks ago and still no results. Oh well, I still came away thankful that I have my health and that I'm still able to participate in events like this even if they are poorly organized and poorly run.

This is definitely an event that if I decide to run it again next year I will remember that the emphasis here has to be on the title, "fun run".

The second "Turkey Trot" that I ran was actually on Thanksgiving Day and was a 5K at Tuolumne Regional Park in Modesto. It was a beautiful late fall day and was run on what felt like a real cross country course. While there were many more runners at this event it was also much more well organized. 

My sister cooked an outstanding Thanksgiving meal that we all enjoyed and we watched a whole lot of NFL Football. It was a nice Thanksgiving and a good reminder of the many things that I continue to be grateful for. Health, family and friends quickly come to mind.

As I sit writing this a week after Thanksgiving, later than I planned, I am reminded to not take health for granted. I came down with a cold early this week and it has basically knocked me for a loop and has certainly brought my training to a screeching halt. I am supposed to run the first of two Christmas themed races on Saturday but that probably won't happen. It is also supposed to be cold and rainy that day!

I hope that whoever you are and wherever you are reading this that you have a lot to be thankful for, not just during the Thanksgiving holiday season but always.