Serving Franklin County, WA
Serving Franklin County, WA
Ah, Thanksgiving. Turkey, cranberries, pumpkin pie and family.
It’s a time to give thanks and celebrate family traditions. But not if you’re glued to a cellphone.
As adults, it’s time to set an example and put those devices away. Spend time with your family partaking in longstanding traditions or creating new ones.
There’s no need to be spending the day surfing social media. Instead, enjoy real social media with family and friends. Talk together, eat together, enjoy each other’s company. You have a lot to be thankful for, and Thursday is a day to share those blessings with others in your life.
It’s also a time to enjoy a great, home-cooked meal.
Growing up, I remember awaking to the smell of turkey in the oven. As the morning moved on, the smell shifted from turkey to baked goods and eventually to a fresh pumpkin pie.
The wondrous kitchen smells made me hungry long before dinner was served. Like most kids, I’d sneak up to the table and put black olives on my fingertips before eating them. If nobody was looking, I’d try to snitch a bite of turkey or a spoonful to Cool Whip.
Friday after Thanksgiving was time to go shopping together. Gone are the days of standing in long lines at 4 a.m., but you can still enjoy a day of exploring local stores and malls to see what’s popular.
And as the weekend progressed to Saturday, it was time to go Christmas tree hunting. Some years it was as close as the local Boy Scout stand. But for most of my life, our tree hunt meant a trip to the woods, Thermos of hot chocolate in one hand and a bow saw in the other.
Those are traditions our family continues to carry on today. None involve cellphones.
This Thanksgiving, I challenge you to ditch the cellphones, too.
Make those calls to family, friends and loved ones. (They’ll enjoy hearing your voice far more than reading a text, email or seeing a silly emoji.)
Then put the phone away. Celebrate what you have to be thankful for. And enjoy your family traditions. You’ll be glad you did.
Happy Thanksgiving.
— Roger Harnack is the owner/publisher of Free Press Publishing. Email him at [email protected].
Roger Harnack is the owner/publisher of Free Press Publishing. Having grown up Benton City, Roger is an award-winning journalist, photographer, editor and publisher. He's one of only two editorial/commentary writers from Washington state to ever receive the international Golden Quill. Roger is dedicated to the preservation of local media, and the voice it retains for Eastern Washington.
Reader Comments(0)