From the Hole

When you spend a large portion of your time in a hole of one kind or another you can often find yourself reflecting on days gone by. On Thursday those of us here in the U.S. will celebrate Thanksgiving and the beginning of the holiday season. There are folks that say that the holidays have gotten too commercial – they may very well be right and maybe its been that way for a while (there was talk of such things when I was but a lad and Starfleet was just a thing on TV). Today, though, I look back in time to yesteryear and have a greater appreciation for what I had back then – whether I was truly aware of it or not.

For me the holidays were all about FAMILY. Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and even great grandparents would drive for miles (sometimes a hundred miles or more and some would fly in) just for the occasion. My favorite place was always the kitchen. The smell of turkey in the oven, listening to everyone chat – all differences set aside for at least a little while – and watching as the family cooks (my mom, grandma, and aunts) worked their magic. The sight of my dad, grandpa, and uncle getting together to mix their individual adult beverages and then sitting down to enjoy them in the living room often in front of the fireplace. The sight of my grandfather later carving the aforementioned bird, loading my plate with turkey, homemade mashed potatoes, peas and corn. Then listening to my great grandma, in her 90’s, as she would treat us to holiday songs that she would play on the piano – I think I appreciate that much more now than when I was younger.

Those days are well past now but their memories live on. Even though I am literally hundreds of miles away and my biological family no longer travels large distances to gather together I hold true to some of the traditions of my past. This year, as I have done in recent years, I’ll gather with my “adopted” family – my family of friends that I met because of Star Trek. I’ll hang out in the kitchen and watch as the masters work their magic. I’ll listen to the conversations and join in to a few as well.

The present isn’t exactly the past, but when you spend most of your time in a hole of one kind or another you appreciate and enjoy what you have and look back,often fondly, at what you had.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

The SO