Time for Giving Thanks

Hi Sweeties!

Although it seems like Halloween is barely over, it’s already time for Giving Thanks. And now that I live in the very birthplace of Thanksgiving (well, the upper thighs anyway) I was curious to see how Ptown celebrates this holiday.

I was expecting a reproduction of the Mayflower to pull into Provincetown Harbor, where the passengers would gleefully disembark and recreate the first Thanksgiving Supper on the pier. (But you know, without all the nasty smallpox, starvation and war with the natives.) Or at least sight a few of the local drag queens dressed as too-glamorous Pilgrims.

But it seems that Provincetown celebrates Thanksgiving much like any other place does now: by putting up Christmas decorations too early and having pre-season sales. How disappointing. But then what were the Pilgrims really giving thanks for?

Our schoolbooks would have us believe that the Pilgrims landed here to find friendly native tribes that shared their food & knowlege to help them survive in a harsh climate. And they all gathered together to give thanks after the first year. But it isn’t true.

12 generations ago, my ancestors arrived on the Mayflower 3 months late at the beginning of a particularly harsh winter, with no food or supplies of their own. They had no particular skills at farming, and few seemed to possess basic skills necessary for their survival. When Governor Bradford wrote to one of the financiers of the venture back in England asking for more supplies and food, he answered back “where’s my profit? Y’all are too lazy.” (I’m paraphrasing here.) But now that I think about it, it wasn’t too dissimilar from my own beginnings on Cape Cod.

The Pilgrims stole stores of corn and fish from the Indians, and justified the theft by thanking God for providing for them. (Two years later, when they needed to make nice with the local Indian tribes, they made reparations for the theft.)

Anyways, I guess being descended from Mayflower passengers on one side, and Native Americans on the other side of my gene pool has left me feeling conflicted about Thanksgiving the holiday. But not about being thankful. As difficult as life can be sometimes, I am still thankful for what I’ve got and what I’ve been given.

Instead of marking the day by stuffing myself with too much food and watching football, I’m going to walk down to the place where the Pilgrims landed and have a quiet day of reflection and peace.

And maybe just a little turkey with oyster stuffing and wild cranberry relish.

And pumpkin pie.

And some cookies.

And booze. Lots of booze.

And maybe just a little football.

Love ya, hon!