It’s not a Derby, Just a Soapbox

I went to buy groceries this evening, I meant to only buy a few things, enough to finish out what I needed for lunch tomorrow and hoping to limit my purchase to the Express lane. Once I got in the store I saw there was a bogo going on, in case you don’t know what that is, it is buy one get one free…now I ask you, who can ignore that when you actually need two jars of Hellman’s Mayo, French cut green beans, soups that I use in my casseroles and all of that stuff was BOGO! I started to load my cart with things I needed, now I didn’t get everything but a great deal of it, and $345.00 later my cart was piled high and I was very sorry I had all those groceries to bring home, unload and put away!
Driving home I realized how hungry I was and the thoughts of all I had to do before I could actually eat made me want to cry, then I had the hiccups, deep, racking hiccups. You can always tell when I am about to perish with hunger (well I am sure I have enough fat on my rear to keep me going for quite a while but I am trying to be dramatic) I always get them. So while driving and hiccupping I started thinking about all the grumpy faces I had seen in the store!
I always smile at people in the aisle and if I see someone who looks like they’re pondering a decision on which brand to buy I always give an opinion on what I think. Most times it is appreciated, we won’t talk about the times it wasn’t. Today seems that the Christmas Grinch had arrived early and had waved his green grumpy wand over the whole store. One lady seeing my full cart remarked that she would be so glad when it was all over, if she didn’t have everything now she wasn’t coming back even if it meant she had to leave something undone, and that was final! One guy was pleading with his wife to get something and I was afraid to obviously eavesdrop so in being slyly nosy I only heard her ask him “do YOU know how to cook that?” “Well NO but if you’ll buy it I’ll LEARN how, OK?” Wow, I know that is going to be a happy meal and I was actually wondering why he needed to ask her permission to buy a food item? Is that how marriage goes these days?
So what’s it all about anyway? If you don’t want to do it then why are you stressing yourself out? I’m not being self-righteous here I have been there, done that when things were thrust on me that I really did not want to do, but when it comes to a day like Thanksgiving remember what it is for, a day to remember to give thanks to God for bringing you through good times and bad, that we still live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. And on that last point I suggest that you thank Him quick before that changes and we are told we cannot worship God at a gathering of believers.
Our rights have been taken away one by one and we are supposed to act normal about it… no prayer, no scripture in school, the Chaplains of the Armed Forces can no longer pray in the name of Jesus, and before you know it “one nation under God” will be removed from our Pledge of Allegiance.
We used to sing a song at Thanksgiving…

Faith of our fathers, living still,
In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword;
Oh, how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene’er we hear that glorious Word!
Refrain:
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.

Faith of our fathers, we will strive
To win all nations unto thee;
And through the truth that comes from God,
We all shall then be truly free.

Faith of our fathers, we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife;
And preach thee, too, as love knows how
By kindly words and virtuous life.

OK just one more word before I climb off my soapbox; enjoy the time with your family because you never know whose face will be missing from your table this time next year.