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My Thanksgiving Day began with me waking up early that morning and going to work. Sure no one should have to work on that day, but at least I get paid time and a half plus an extra days pay for it. So I'm thankful for that. And I'm thankful for a job. I had no place else to be anyway, so it's ok. My mother and father, along with my sister and brother in law and his parents and my brother were in south Texas camping somewhere anyway. The lady and I haven't been talking much except in argument lately... we seem to be on the break. So I wouldn't have been seeing her either... a shame... she loves the smell of latakia... and I love her truly. While at work, a grocery store where I work in the butcher block, we were quite busy as you can imagine. Everyone on the planet was coming in to get last minute items and things they had forgotten and needed for their Thanksgiving Dinners. Often times on busy days you get quite a few customers who hate the world and hate you even more. But the customers were mostly quite pleasant, and for that I am Thankful. There is a homeless man that hangs around in the area that I talk to quite often, named Tony. Aside from how he chooses to live his life, he's a descent guy. And he does indeed choose to live his life the way he does. He has told me he doesn't like the responsibility of having to take care of a home, or pay rent, bills, taxes, groceries.... whatever else. He's been offered chances at employment by a few people and even a place to stay upon being hired, but he turns them down. He's diabetic as well and has had paramedics called for him numerous times when he was going into diabetic shock and needed insulin. Sometimes, someone is able to get him some orange juice and a candy bar to help him out before it gets too bad and he'll be ok. Well he was in that state Thanksgiving day, and incoherent and stumbling around the store, running into things and nearly taking out a few wine displays and other things, when I and a coworker had to get him outside because customers were sort of freaking out, thinking he was drunk and dangerous or something. We got him outside where of course he finally stumbled to the point where he fell down. Of course another coworker was calling for paramedics while me and my other coworker rolled him over and helped him sit up. He's a big guy and quite heavy, but as we held him up I was able to pour orange juice in his mouth and get him drinking. Finally the paramedics showed up and took over. I put Tony's bicycle and bucket of clothes in the back of the store until he could come and get them. Which he did, shortly after. After getting insulin and resting a bit in the back of the ambulance he was much better. As happens sometimes, the paramedics gave him a bit of cash to get some food in him. Some day I fear he's going to be somewhere no one sees him, where he'll go into diabetic shock, pass out and never wake up. He's not a bad guy... but I'm thankful that I don't choose to live as he does, and I'm thankful I've been spared that fate as I have come close to being homeless before. I'm thankful I have a job, and I'm thankful I WANT a job, and I'm thankful I have a roof and four walls to go home to. So... once my day was done, I purchased my Thanksgiving Dinner before heading home. I'm sure I could have gotten something a little nicer, but chose to save, and it was dinner for one anyway so I opted for hot dogs. Maybe it wasn't much, but it was food in my belly and I'm thankful for that. I ate my dinner under a roof with walls with electricity and heat and I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful that God reminded me, that there are others worse off than me, whether they choose it or not. I'm thankful for a soft bed, and thankful for my pipes... something that gives me comfort. I'm thankful for life.
