Guilt, Pie and Opportunities

This is the time of the year when many of us are getting ready for the Holidays. First up, Thanksgiving: A time to take stock of all that we have to be grateful for, before letting loose with the credit cards. We bow our heads in shame as our religious leaders remind us that a few of us will start our day trudging to the local watering hole to compete for drinking “water” with beasties, which can’t be said for most of the world’s population.  We feel a little guilty for taking some of the most basic things like food and shelter for granted.

I come from very humble beginnings, and by humble I mean living in a car for large chunks of my childhood. Perhaps those humble beginnings are what instilled a sense of guilt for wanting more. Yet, “more” seems to be so incredibly counter to being in a state of gratitude…Then I had an epiphany -- Thanksgiving IS all about more. The holiday celebrates abundance and feasting both literally and metaphorically. The Pilgrims and Native Americans had tables filled with food, utilizing every resource that the land had to offer. They didn’t partake in a sensible meal – no they FEASTED (aka, pigged out)! The meals we prepare are symbolic of what this country has to offer and encourages us to enjoy and celebrate that abundance.

Rewind to several years ago: I was making great pay as an insurance recruiter, had an office that was bigger than most houses in third world countries, and had good benefits. However, I wasn’t happy. The company’s culture didn’t bring out the best in me nor my personal goals, and my life philosophies were not in alignment with my employer. The economy was tough and many people were losing their jobs and were truly struggling. As unhappy as I was, I felt incredibly guilty and embarrassed by my lack of gratitude. So, I stayed for years and convinced myself I was lucky. After an intense inner struggle, I made the decision to come to work for Hobson Associates. I am now working for a company that allows me to keep earning an amazing living and contribute in an environment that makes me happier. I realized that feeling guilty for wanting it all is like feeling sorry for having a big ‘ole spoonful of whipped cream on my pecan pie!  

I am so grateful, not only for my family, health, having running water, but also for not having to settle for the circumstances I was born into, a job that doesn’t fulfill me, or eating a ‘lean cuisine’ for Thanksgiving dinner. I am thankful for the experiences, possessions and causes I have been able to support that, as the child living in a car, I could have never imagined.

Our lives should be a feast in every sense, with options as far as the eye can see.  I feel that not taking advantage of the opportunities that our country has to offer is exhibiting the ultimate lack of gratitude … So here’s to a heaping spoon of whipped cream on top of your piece of pie!

-Robin