Gateway Regional School District Superintendent Dr. David B. Hopson.
As we enter this time of year, where so many different holiday traditions are observed based upon religion, culture, and even the changes in seasons, it becomes even more difficult to express holiday greetings without some pushback, due to the increasing recognition that this may somehow infringe upon another individual’s or group’s experience, history, or unique traditions. Despite this, it’s impossible to avoid the trappings of the upcoming holidays (even if you don’t believe in celebrating any holidays) and it is up to all of us to support the various approaches to celebrating traditions while doing our best to not infringe upon each person’s individual rights and beliefs.
Even Thanksgiving has some negative connotations attached to it these days but despite this I do wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving with the hope that you’ll take time to reflect on the many blessings we enjoy and how each of us can make a positive impact on the world around us.
Despite the repetitive and horrific news of mass shootings; the inability of our elected officials from our two major parties to find any common ground on almost any issue; the seemingly endless debate on whether the world’s scientists are correct in measuring changes in global climate; and the inordinate time we spend immersed in electronic media rather than interacting with people directly; there are still daily glimmers of hope. Every day we each see good things happening and get to enjoy the pleasures and benefits of living where we do, yet how often do we talk about, share, or appreciate these, being so caught up in the daily deluge of negativity seen in the national media. Think about the glorious sunrises or sunsets that occur routinely here; the meteor showers that we can often see; the positive interactions with our neighbors; the sightings of turkey, deer, bear and other wildlife; the diversity of birds visiting feeders; the sight of horses, cows, sheep and other domesticated animals being well cared for; our students who have the opportunity to succeed in a small school with a caring staff; and the fact that our local governments are truly of, by, and for the people based upon our town meeting organization.
We certainly can opt to see the negative if we choose, but it is also our choice to view things in a positive light. You can fret that you don’t have a nice enough house or consider that if you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead, and a place to sleep, you are more comfortable than 75% of the world’s population. You can complain about the price of fuel and driving through traffic to get to work or consider yourself more fortunate than the more than 500 million people in the world that are experiencing the dangers of battle, the fear and loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, the pain of starvation, or the travails of being without a country. You can bemoan the difficulty of paying your bills or recognize that if you have change on your dresser, money in the bank or in your wallet you are among the top 8% of the world in terms of wealth. These and other interesting facts (i.e., if you can read that you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all) can be found in the “State of the Village Report”.
So the choice is ours in terms of looking at the glass as half empty or half full and I would suggest that our outlook in these matters directly impacts our satisfaction overall, which may also have an effect on our health and overall success in life. Furthermore, we each also have opportunities every day to share the positives with others and downplay the negatives. Thus, as we celebrate Thanksgiving, may each of you have the opportunity to count your blessings, share these with your family and friends, and find in each day a ray of hope to brighten your passage through life.
