I first saw it on Facebook last week:  the idea that we should post a daily tribute to something we are grateful for. Now dozens of my Friends are participating.

How did this get started? Who first decided that he was such an ingrate that he had to just go on the record and atone for 30 days? And what does this mini movement say about us? That we on Facebook are a world of ingrates? (Doubtless:  Here we are issuing semi-apologies from the comfort of our personal social media while 1 out of every 6 people on the planet can’t even get a drink of clean water.) But how does recognizing something you’re grateful for every day on Facebook address the situation? Facebook isn’t a person, and gratitude expressed to an integrated suite of software algorithms doesn’t exactly lift your character; there is no Mr. Facebook to receive your gratitude. There is only an audience – us – and perhaps that’s what this is about:  our seeing you confess your lacking in a superficial way.

Here’s a random sampling of what I’ve seen:

“I am grateful and thankful for my friends, my family, the love I am given and the love I am able to give away.”

“Grateful for places of beauty and wonder….and the ability to enjoy them.”

“I am grateful for the rain, the clouds, the sky and the beauty it all brings.”

“I AM GREATFUL THAT WE ARE RECEIVING ALL THE DIVINE GUIDANCE ALL THE WAY TO THE INTERNET SO IT CAN SPREAD FAST AND LOVE WILL ALWAYS PREVAIL. NAMASTE.”

Here’s what really bugs me about this. My personal experience of human beings, my five decades of personal interaction with and observation of the species, tells me that these things are most assuredly not what they are grateful (or “greatful”) for.  If people were honest here’s what they would tell you what they were grateful for:

•    Nail clippers
•    Fried chicken
•    Electricity
•    Beer
•    Chocolate
•    Shoes that fit
•    Hair that looks good that day
•    Hot running water
•    Coffee
•    Sex
•    A pen that writes when you pick it up
•    Paved roads
•    Wifi
•    Soap, on themselves and other people

To name just a few. So why do people instead list rivers, fluffy clouds, kitty cats, goodness and the rest? So we can see how noble they are.

I grew up out in nature, and let me tell you, it’s a jungle out there. People have been known to die in it. Nature has two, um, natural states:  deadly and boring. I’ve seen them both. I’ve been attacked by wild stags, snapper turtles, rattlesnakes, jellyfish, horseshoe crabs and any number and disposition of insects. I’ve also fallen into sink holes, had trees fall down near me, gotten lost or broken down and run low on water, and once or twice almost got caught in a fire. This sort of thing provides the excitement; the rest of the time, it’s dull. Think of all the movies you’ve seen where people are picnicking out in a field. What provided the entertainment? The people and the food – both of which were brought out into that field. The field supplied nothing. That’s what most of nature is:  a lot of nothing. I don’t mind fishing in it, but I have to bring the fishing pole, the tackle, the cigars, lunch, and so forth; without my effort, there’s no experience worth having.  Believe me. I’ve tried. Movies that reflect what I know to be true about nature:  “Grizzly Man.” “127 Hours.” “Touching the Void.” Each of them far more terrifying than any Hollywood horror movie.

So I’m grateful for the indoors. For indoor plumbing and for toilet paper. For the internet and cafes. For hand-rolled cigars. For a good steak. For red wine. For Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. For t-shirts. For newspapers. For museums. For bottle openers. For a good free parking spot. For all  the things that actually make life worth living.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 9th, 2011 at 10:12 pm and is filed under Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.