I'm sitting here at work today, because even though it is Thanksgiving, the world still moves on and things have to get done.  The TD's are awfully slow today, and I thought I would just put a few things down here.  This is a list of things I'm thankful for.

I'm thankful, of course for my family.  I've been married for over 20 years, and God only knows how she puts up with my crap.  I have one son that is a Paramedic/Firefighter and 2 other sons still at home.  Sub-category of thankfulness on this one is the safety of my oldest son.  He has been in and seen some wild **** and has come through unscathed to this point.

I'm thankful that I have a job.  Not just any job, but one I like and I'm good at, and it pays well.  I'll never be a rich man, because my job is public safety, but I don't have to worry about running out of customers either.  In this time, this steady employment is a true blessing.  As a sub category of thankfulness on this note, I'm thankful for all of the people, who like me, protect the rest of the citizens.  Beginning with our military personnel, who are often called upon for the most extreme sacrifices, I offer you my heartfelt thanks.  Police Officers, Firefighters, EMT's and Paramedics, and Correctional Officers, please accept my thanks.  I know what you do, and how hard it is, and how often you are ignored for your sacrifices.

I am thankful that I am a United States citizen.  We are in a time of crisis in our country, but we have overcome this and worse before, and we will again.  I may not always agree with the things our leaders do, but I, unlike so many around the world, have the ability to choose who leads.  Beginning at the local level, like school board elections, right up to electing what I consider to be the most powerful of all offices, I have a voice.  I can openly disagree with the leader(s) of the United States, because that is my right.  Not too many places you can live in like this.

I am thankful for my education.  I watch the younger generation coming in to the workforce, and try to decipher reports filed by subordinates, and just scratch my head.  I'm not saying that a higher education makes you a better person, but I will say this; Man can take pretty much anything you have.  Man can take your property, they can take your pride, they can take your life.  Short of a lobotomy, the things you know are the only things that cannot be taken from you.

I am thankful for my health.  My job often leads me to view some of the worst things that humanity has to offer, and many times the things I deal with are what I call self created.  If you have full capacities of your mind and body, why throw it away.  If you have this, you are more blessed than most of the human race.

I am thankful for my friend.  That's right, I said friend.  I know a lot of people, and I get along well with damn near every one I know, but the word 'friend' is not pluralized here for a reason.  I have been truly blessed by the presence of a true friend in my life.  He has been my friend for many years now, and we have seen and done some of the wildest things together.  I have no doubt, whatsoever, that this man would purposefully take a bullet for me, and I for he.  If you have never had to trust your life to another human, this may be hard to understand.  We have had that type of situation occur in our relationship more times than I can count, and for that I count myself as one of the fortunate few.  Hopefully, we haven't taken our last shot of tequila together.  Not for many, many years.

This list is by no means entirely comprehensive.  I'm thankful for a lot of things I can't even list.  Hell, I'm thankful for my sunglasses.  I would like to end this by adding one more thing.  One many will disagree with, and many will absolutely agree with.  Whatever your personal opinion is, just replace my statement here with one of your own...

I'm thankful for the By God Dallas Cowboys!!!!!