Giving Thanks

This is the 11th Thanksgiving that emptywheel has survived: through the last year of the Bush Administration, the hope and shortcomings and some progress of the Obama Administration, and now two years of Trump, bolstered now by the hope, again, of a Democratic House.

Through it all there have been certain constants. Each year, I realize how lucky I am to live in a state with the diversity to supply our entire Thanksgiving meal, from sugar to turkey to locally raised veggies to wine to sunchokes (Deleuzian artichokes, as we call them in my household) raised in the yard. Over those years, the farmers that supply that bounty have become not just welcome sources, but true friends, down to the bonfires that our meat farmers, Mary and Jill, host, into which we throw sticks named for curses we want to burn away.

There’s always the Lions, who’ve returned to their losing ways. Hopefully that means I’ll be able to start snacking off the bacon on top of the turkey early this year.

In spite of the toxins in social media, there’s an ever expanding network of people, joining on-line and off to try to make this world a better place. I’m especially encouraged by the energy younger people are bringing, whether it be the Parkland kids, younger politicians like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and others. They might just salvage the wreckage the Boomers have created! That said, in MI, both young and old contributed to real progress this year, including a slate full of Constitutional officers I’m genuinely excited about and reforms to make democracy work better.

And, amazingly, there are readers who’ve been reading emptywheel even longer than that 11 years, offering so much with their comments, wisdom, and feedback. With each holiday, we at emptywheel remember those who have passed, readers who are still dearly missed. But marking each new year also reminds me how many wonderful new readers have joined our community. Thanks to those who’ve been here for years and those just joining us. The conversations here, as much as the writing, is what makes the site.

Happy Thanksgiving!