Thankfulness, and un-thankfulness

by Rob Tiller

At Durant Nature Park, November 24, 2017

We had a good Thanksgiving with some beloved family members, and I was grateful, as was appropriate.  But it struck me that Thanksgiving needs a little balancing.  Along with things to be thankful for, most of us have a good number of things to mourn or regret, and these too should be acknowledged.  To balance our feasting, we could have an annual day of fasting, and focus a bit on the things that we’re sorry about and unhappy with.  It could be therapeutic.  

Flying at Durant

I got to try the fasting part this weekend in preparation for an ordinary course colonoscopy scheduled for tomorrow.  I normally maintain a decent level of skepticism regarding the medical-industrial complex’s  expensive procedures for apparently healthy people.  But I’m also fairly terrified of cancer.  So I followed the dietary recommendations, including several days with no fiber and a final day with no solid food.  I will spare you the details.  Fun it is not.  

At Umstead Park

It was mostly clear and mild this weekend, and I enjoyed doing some hiking through the woods and around the local lakes.  I took these pictures with the Tiller Quadcopter and the terrestrial Nikon D7100.