A Fine Day

It’s a fine spring afternoon here in sultry Savannah. The birds are twittering, the squirrels chittering, and the cat at my side is sound asleep. Some days, like today, I find that I have neither the mood nor stomach to indulge in indignation. Some days I need a little tranquility among the daily sturm und drang. Some days, like today, I am reminded that regardless of what’s happening out there, life continues apace. And so, today, a little gratitude.

I’m thinking of baking something. Maybe a banana bread. Maybe something more involved. Something to get my hands busy. I could work out in the garden, but that is Martha’s domain and, also, I hate working in the garden. I only said it to make it sound like there was some chance of me going out there, but as soon as I wrote the words, I knew they were a lie.

Le chat.

Honestly, the part about me making banana bread is also likely to be a lie, but there is at least a small chance I will actually do it so it’s sort of an in-between lie. I don’t know what’s called. A half-truth? A faulty prognostication?

We had another good episode of Have I Got News For You this week. Two great Sams guested: the political commentator Sam Seder and the comedian Sam Jay. Both were terrific. Somehow, we always end up laughing over our national absurdities, no matter how dire. I’m grateful for the laughs.

Afterwards, I went out with friends for fantastic Turkish food, some wine, and more laughter. I was grateful for all of that, too, including our waiter who, even at the late hour, managed to upsell us on some baklava simply by being flamboyant and charming. We tipped extra.

I’m grateful for my son, who received some good news this weekend. I’m grateful for my daughter, who took her very first boxing class a couple days ago. Very difficult, she said, but not so difficult that it will prevent her from returning. And I’m grateful to be home now, and pondering the most important decision of the day: whether or not to nap.

(Again, that’s a lie. There’s no decision to be made. I will nap.)

Gratitude, when we take the time to seek it out, is a tonic. A warm slug of fortification against whatever crappy forces that would dislodge our equanimity. Pills are also good for this, but gratitude can be had without prescription and without any debilitating side effects, such as death.

My gratitude today extends to all of you who take the trouble to read my words. I certainly didn’t expect to amass the readership I’ve found here, and I didn’t expect to write nearly as much as I have in these pages. But both things have happened and I’m thankful. Not just because it gives me an outlet, but because you all have made it permissible for me to be my authentic, crabby self here. While I love doing comedy, I have never thought of myself as a comedian. Here, on these pages, I’m able to be more of myself in a public setting than I’ve allowed myself outside of my books, and it’s your encouragement that has permitted me to do so. So, thank you. And, also, thank you for not sending me death threats, which is a first for me on a social media platform.

(Actually, I don’t think I received any death threats on MySpace but that’s just because, back then, people hadn’t yet thought of doing that.)

Things are going to get worse for the nation. That is a foregone conclusion. We will continue to see affronts against those who have done nothing worse than express themselves. And, often, not even that. We will continue to see unconstitutional actions and we will continue to see those who ought to be standing up for what I thought were this nation’s values turning away. But we’ll also see more and more people standing up against injustice and for the Constitution. We’ll see more outrage, more demonstrations, more direct action. I’m grateful for the people who have stood up already and am grateful for those who will do in the days and months to come.

Taking the long view, life is good. It’s good because we choose it to be so. Life can be good at any place, at any time, in any situation. There’s beauty everywhere you care to seek it. Joy in unexpected places. Laughter in difficult circumstances. Life is good when we remember to embrace its goodness. Life is good when we stuff our faces with ice cream and when we Life is good when we listen to the sound of a sleeping cat.

So today I’m grateful because I remembered gratitude. I’m grateful because I still have a voice and good footwear. Grateful for my loved ones and grateful for all of you. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go tend the garden. That is, of course, a lie. I’m going to do as the cat does and take a nap.