Top ten things for which to give thanks . . . even if you think you don't have any reason to give thanks

10. You have a newspaper (or computer "mouse") in your hand.

Thanks to Guttenberg's press and the World Wide Web you have access to more information today than all previous generations combined.

According to a 2000 University of Berkley study, "the world produces 1 and 2 exabytes of unique information per year, or roughly 250 megabytes for every man, woman and child on earth."

Just in case you're wondering, an "exabyte" is equal to 1,152,921,504,606,846,976 "bytes" or 250 book-length bits of information for every person on the planet!

9. You live in a country that either a) allows freedom of the press, b) at least allows access to my ramblings in print or online, or c) hasn't arrested you yet for reading my column.

8. You can read this column.

According to UNICEF, 885 million people in this world can't read. That's one in six of every person on the planet.

7. You can comprehend this column.

Okay, maybe not a good example when it comes to my writing. But you have a brain that can translate black ink spots on white paper (or pixels on a computer screen) into a coherent message. Again, this column may not be the best example of coherency, but you get the point - and for that, you can be thankful.

6. You can see this column.

Worldwide 45 million people are blind and 135 million people have low vision (World Health Organization). If you're legally blind, you can be grateful that someone is reading this column to you (or that you have one of those high-tech scanners that reads for you).

5. You're conscious.

Again, perhaps a bad example, but before you started reading this column, you had the mental and physical ability to pick up the paper or click on a link to get to this point of nodding off.

4. You're breathing and your heart is beating.

Yep, 99.9999 percent of you are breathing and beating without assistance of any kind of extraordinary medical procedure. Even if you're reading this hooked up to a ventilator and IVs, you can be thankful for the medical advancements that allow you to read this rant.

3. You're reading this column now.

My friend and fellow columnist, Michael Fraley, reminds us, "As attractive as the TV show 'Little House on the Prairie' made pioneer life, the truth is that life was hard and often short. People died because of diseases that we no longer worry about. Women couldn't vote. People of color were separate and definitely not equal. Etc. etc. . . ."

2. You are appreciated!

I know I don't say it enough, but thank you for reading this column each week. You are either very discerning or seriously deranged. I do pray that you find it enlightening, entertaining, or at the very least encouraging that there's actually someone more deranged than you in this world.

1. You're done reading this column!

So, if you can be grateful for ten things simply by reading this silly column, just think of the "exabytes" of things you can be thankful for this Thursday - and throughout the year.

Copyright © 2002 James N. Watkins



Please tell a friend

If this page was helpful, please tell a friend

Your name:
Your email:
Friend's name:
Friend's email:

And, if this page was really helpful, please consider a donation to our sponsor, XarisCom. Even a dollar is helpful. Thanks!





Legal stuff and warnings

Copyright © James Watkins. All text and graphics on my sites, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted © in my name, James N. Watkins, and are protected by United States copyright law and international copyright law under the Berne Convention. Please visit the press room for information on reprinting any text or graphics. Thanks!

WARNING: Reader assumes full responsibility for the proper and prescribed use of this site. For external use only. Discontinue if rash, redness, irritation, or swelling develops. If swallowed, do not induce vomiting. Side-effects may include drowsiness or mild to severe agitation. Do not read while consuming alcohol or operating heavy machinery. Keep away from open flame. Do not store above 451 degrees. Do not use near or place in water. Void where prohibited, taxed or licensed. Any medical information provided is for general educational use only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of any other person—real or fictitious, living or dead—using the name James N. Watkins.