Giving Thanks: The 2010 Remix

Ah, where to begin?

The late 1990s were the worst for me where this holiday is concerned. I was alone, there was no place to go, and I would often end up having Thanksgiving dinner at IHOP. Yeah, you heard me right. Recent years have been more promising, I am happy to report. Sal had to work from 8am to 1pm today (she's a free-lance home health care aide), and again from 4pm to 9pm. That gave us a two- to three-hour interregnum, at which time we went to the apartment of her brother's girlfriend, where the table was spread for whoever stopped by.

Paul and Lauren are in Atlanta tonight. Of course, I am always grateful to carry on text message debates with my son. I confessed to nurturing thoughts of anarchism. This began a discussion of the differences between individualist anarchism (which would be me, he maintains) and collectivist anarchism (which he claims would apply to him). I'm not sure I agree with such characterization, but such was how the exchange began. I urged him to read Rerum Novarum, as opposed to just reading about it, as well as eventually the writings of Belloc and Chesterton on distributism.

As of this writing, the conversation is concluding, each of us giving the other respective reading assignments. Mine is a long treatise at anarchosyndicalism.net. His is an almost-as-long visit with Pope Leo XIII. I'm always amazed by how well-read he is, although I probably shouldn't be. Wonder if he thinks the same.

“The idea of a worker friendly state is an illusion. It’s socialism without balls. ANYWAY ... Happy Thanksgiving.”

Isn't he terrific? Deo gratias!
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