Thankful For What I've Got

by Dick Mac

For what can I be thankful?

I am alive, and I have a spouse, and a daughter. I have a family, extended family, family of origin, chosen family, faith community, school community, colleagues, heroes, and admirers.

I have the ability to reason, I have faith, love, hope, and friendship.

I am employed, relatively sane and healthy, sheltered, fed, warm, rested, and informed.

I have intellectualism, humor, and fun.

I live in New York City, I have neighbors.

I have a government that perseveres in spite of the best efforts of conservatives to destroy it. I have the right and ability to pay taxes and participate in my government. I have a government worthy of respect.

I am connected to the entire world via the Internet. I live with three televisions in a thousand square feet, two radios, six telephones, and two computers.

I have a car and a microwave oven.

I have clothes, jewelry, and accessories.

I have health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, home insurance, car insurance. My bank deposits are insured. I have bank deposits.

I know the difference between right and wrong, and even if I choose poorly I have the ability to choose.

I have art, music, photographs, and memories.

I love and I am loved, I have loved and I have been loved. I have living friends and dead friends. Living lovers and lovers who have died.

I am charitable and benefit from the charity of others. I am generous and benefit from the generosity of others.

I have known grace.

I have much for which I am thankful.

As James Rado wrote in the musical "Hair":
I got my hair
I got my head
I got my brains
I got my ears
I got my eyes
I got my nose
I got my mouth
I got my teeth
I got my tongue
I got my chin
I got my neck
I got my tits
I got my heart
I got my soul
I got my back
I got my ass
I got my arms
I got my hands
I got my fingers
Got my legs
I got my feet
I got my toes
I got my liver
Got my blood

And on a lighter note, The Tubes sang:

. . . you are entitled to:
a heated kidney shaped pool,
a microwave oven--don't watch the food cook,
a Dyna-Gym--I'll personally demonstrate it in the privacy of your own home,
a king-size Titanic unsinkable Molly Brown waterbed with polybendum,
a foolproof plan and an airtight alibi,
real simulated Indian jewelry,
a Gucci shoetree,
a year's supply of antibiotics,
a personally autographed picture of Randy Mantooth
and Bob Dylan's new unlisted phone number,
a beautifully restored 3rd Reich swizzle stick,
Rosemary's baby,
a dream date in kneepads with Paul Williams,
a new Matador, a new mastodon,
a Maverick, a Mustang, a Montego,
a Merc Montclair, a Mark IV, a meteor,
a Mercedes, an MG, or a Malibu,
a Mort Moriarty, a Maserati, a Mac truck,
a Mazda, a new Monza, or a moped,
a Winnebago--Hell, a herd of Winnebago's we're giving 'em away,
or how about a McCulloch chainsaw,
a Las Vegas wedding,
a Mexican divorce,
a solid gold Kama Sutra coffee pot,
or a baby's arm holding an apple?



Thankful For What I've Got
Barbara Lewis



I Got Life
James Rado



What Do You Want From Life?
The Tubes