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This year I'm thankful for my girlfriend and her family.
Last year I spent Turkey Day with a good friend from work. We played Ultimate Frisbee in the morning and then feasted at his parents' house at night.
Ultimate Frisbee is fun. We played until all of us were sore and tired.
Later that day, my friend took me to his parents' house where I proceeded to ruin Thanksgiving for everyone, unintentionally.
We started to play a charades type game and my buddy's son, who was five at the time, wanted to join too. Mom told him no. Dad told him no. So, the five-year-old chose me as the weakest link and attacked there.
Well, it worked, sort of. I, being the "adult" in the situation, refused to let the child grab hold of the timing device. Once in my possession I started a sort of keep-away/ignore said child game. It was not going well, because the child saw me as his equal in this, not equal to all the other "adults" most of whom (minus my buddy's parents) I am older than. In my desperation and exasperation I raised my voice at the five-year-old telling him that "NO, means NO".
That was that. The game was over. Mom whisked the five-year-old away. I, the guest in this home, the outsider, was now the bad guy. I was THAT Guy. You don't ever want to be That Guy.
So, this year is another year. My buddy did invite me to play ultimate again, but did not invite me to dinner. Se la vi. Thankfully, I'm headed down to my girlfriend's parents' house. Since we have been together for over a year now, I've met a lot of the extended family that lives in Southern California. I have enough of a rapport with them that a family gathering like Thanksgiving should go OK. Plus, I'm not an outsider this year, which is a very nice feeling. My girlfriend likes me (I hope, ha!), so the family accepts me (in my mind) as I am.
Well, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
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