I know. I said I was taking off the weekend, but this post is an exception. I just read Peter Greene’s Thanksgiving message, and I can’t post it next week because it will be dated. Peter is a wonderful writer, and I think you will enjoy his reflections about gratitude.
For those who don’t know Peter, he retired after 39 years as an English teacher in Pennsylvania. He has two sets of children. The first set is from his first marriage, and they are adults. The second set, from his second marriage, are toddler twins. You will see a picture of them watching their first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on television. I wouldn’t normally mention the personal details of Peter’s life but he refers to his twins as his “board of directors.”
Speaking of gratitude, I forgot to tell you something that fills me with gratitude. I have four grandsons, and one of them, who is in his late 20s, was in Eilat, Israel, on October 7. He was visiting friends at a dive resort where he worked a few years ago as a marine photographer. About 15 people from the staff went to the Supernova dance, about an hour away. He made plans to go but the couple who offered him a ride broke up the day before and decided not to go. Some of the young people from the resort who went to the dance were murdered. Thank whatever gods there be that he didn’t go. I’m so grateful for his safety.

My lord, Diane!!! Aie yie yie! So glad your grandson is safe. This is a great blessing. And so horrified for the families of the other young people who died.
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You preach on Peter!!! And talking about gratitude, I am so grateful to have you in my life and all your words. Happy Thanksgiving my friend and so happy that your grandson is safe. And my PA studying granddaughter got it right when she said about October 7–that could just as easily been you or I Arnie. Let’s hug, even if by text. So fortuitous you sent your email at the right time.
Arnie
Sent from mobile: Arnold F Fege, PresidentPublic Advocacy for Kids (PAK)Washington, DC | +1 (202) 258-4044
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I suppose the living relatives of the 14000 Palestinians who were murdered by Israel dropping American made bombs from American made planes should also offer gratitude for being alive!
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Nalinaksha, the best way to avoid war is not to start one. Hamas cruelly betrayed the Palestinian people in Gaza. Hamas launched the attack on October 7 with the goal of provoking a brutal Israeli response. Blame Hamas for launching the horrific violence. I’m on the side of the innocents on both sides of the border—-Israelis and Palestinians.
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So glad your grandson is safe, Diane. What a scare.
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And speaking of Keeping Safe, Gratitude and Pennsylvania.
The PA Bucks County Dem Majority that swept the conservative Moms For Liberty slate out of office. Now intends to block an unusual — they say illegal — payout and bring calm to the Central Bucks School District.
The previously MAGA school board banned books, Pride flags & transgender athletes. Concluding their reign of terror by slipping a last-minute item into their final meeting before leaving office.
Hastily awarding a $700,000 exit package to the superintendent who supported their agenda.
The District has spent $1.5 MILLION on legal and public relations fees amid competing lawsuits, discrimination complaints and investigations in the past two years. Including a pending suit over its suspension of a middle school teacher who supported LGBTQ and other marginalized students.
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I can easily relate to your grandson’s experience, Diane. The only time in my life that I’ve snorkled was in Eilat, which was amazing because the water in the Red Sea was so clear that I could easily see what was below the waves without needing the snorkle.
That was another harrowing October though, because it was not long before the Yom Kipper War broke out. I celebrated my 21st birthday there and although I had traveled abroad alone before then. it was my first experience living in a country that was so vulnerable to attacks from neighboring nations. I felt very afraid of Jordan’s cliffs, there above the sea, because they were so in your face that I readily imagined how easy it would be for that country to raid people like me in Israel from such vantage points. I felt very lucky to make it out of there safely, both before and after experiencing the war (when Israel was attacked on two fronts). I’m really glad your grandson has been just as fortunate as I was. May he continue to be so blessed!
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EC Professional,
Maybe you swam with my grandson. He worked at Dolphin Reef in Eilat for almost two years. Although he typically accompanied scuba divers, not snorkelers.
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So glad your relatives went unscathed. My prayer for the entire Middle East, as for the world, is peace and true justice (which should never be confused with retribution). I hope to exist long enough to see at least a bit of this. The recent wins by Libertarians in Argentina and Rightists in The Netherlands leave me a bit disappointed, but we must push forward.
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Yes, yes, yes, true gratitude is generosity, certainly not whatever Bill Gates did today.
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Hard to be thankful with unbearable hubris. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/nov/25/we-will-coup-whoever-we-want-the-unbearable-hubris-of-musk-and-the-billionaire-tech-bros
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