The Worst Thanksgiving Day Ever
And why I'm usually on a cruise on turkey day.
If you know me personally, or follow me on social media, you probably know that around Thanksgiving time, I usually take a cruise holiday somewhere.
That tradition started from the time I was alone on Thanksgiving Day. When I was getting a divorce from the mother of my children, we came up with a plan for splitting up the holidays - who would have the girls for Thanksgiving, who for Christmas, etc.
I was okay with our plan: she would take the first Thanksgiving, I would take Christmas. I planned to visit family in Florida for Christmas, so I'd take the girls, and we'd all have a great old time.
To make use of my time, I signed up to provide chiropractic services through Hosea Feed The Hungry and one of the Chiropractic Associations.
The event went well; we adjusted many people - there were even some "chiropractic miracles" (as always).
However, it ended too early, leaving me with too much time to think about how my kids weren't with me, and how I had fucked up another marriage.
Sitting there, wallowing in sadness, a thought struck me:
"What makes you happy?"
Travel! Then go somewhere. Where, though?
What's a happy place?
Disney!
"NO, YOU HATE DISNEY!"
"No, I don't - I hate crowds, sweltering heat, and overpriced everything."
"Well, what about a cruise?"
Yes! A cruise! I loved the last one so much I even bought CCL stock!
That was my Scarlett O'Hara moment:
"As God is my witness, I’ll never be sad on Thanksgiving Day Again!"
So there you have it. That was me trying to prevent future sadness by changing my circumstances. If it happened today, I'd focus on working on myself instead of altering events.
And now, almost every Thanksgiving since then (except during COVID), I've set sail on the high seas. It's not just about escaping sadness or past holiday ghosts; it's about embracing a new tradition. Each cruise is a reminder that to find joy, sometimes you must steer your own ship away from the storm.
Cheers to new traditions.
-Dan
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