Thanksgiving Theater

Well, the craziness of the holidays is already making itself apparent as we approach the Thanksgiving week, and it seems like everyone is getting in on the action. President Bush, in a desperate attempt to inch out some respect, has said he is going to help ease the airport situation by opening up military airspace to commercial airlines. A Democratic Congress, who just loves Bush-bashing, has released a report on how incompetent the new security system is at the airport. The travel industry is trying to redirect travel from mom's house to tourist destinations across the country. Health groups, who understand how task-oriented in life and distant-from-our-folks many of us can be, are publishing tips on how to behave as a family. The retail giants are getting ready for the biggest shopping day of the year after Thanksgiving and even God is on board because it actually rained in Atlanta and it looks like OJ is going to trial.

My family and I are actually going to be part of the herds headed to the airport tomorrow. I know a few others doing the same thing and what I have come to realize is that we holiday travelers are in a membership all our own. WE are the people checking the weather channel and making last minute purchases at the grocery store. WE are the people staying up late tonight trying to do laundry and pack. WE are the people begging our friends and/or kennels to care for our pets while we're out spending more money somewhere else. WE are the people standing at the Starbucks line between connections hoping caffeine will help us stay awake long enough to get on the right plane. WE are the people giving in on 3 year old demands to avoid tantrums and being one of "those people" on the plane. The list goes on and on.

At the end of the day though, I guess we all try to take advantage of the holidays. Whether you're a politician trying to take pictures with American families and their babies to help your ratings, a corporation trying to boost sales through strategic news article and ad placement, or a human being trying to connect with your roots, thanksgiving is a time for all of us to take advantage of the flurry of activity and connect accordingly.