Forget the gong, let’s give thanks

Nashua High School North versus Nashua High School South in the “Turkey Bowl”. Souhegan High School squaring off with Merrimack High School in the 13th annual “Battle for the Milk Jug”. Just two things to be thankful for on this holiday.

More important though is the family and friends gathered around a table shoveling scoop after scoop of mashed potatoes, squash, stuffing and cranberry sauce down our throats until the turkey-induced coma kicks in.

The fall is my favorite time of year. The weather is pretty good for an overweight guy with natural insulation, and Major League Baseball’s playoffs get started just as the National Football League’s season kicks off.

Yet there is something even more magical than the beautiful weather, changing of leaves and the sporting events.

There is nothing better than the holiday season that runs from Thanksgiving Day through New Year’s Day. Personally, I am a sucker for Christmas – the decorations, the music, the family and friends. Heck, I’ve been known to walk the aisles at Wal-mart, Target and Toys ’R Us singing along with the Christmas carols. Even worse for those around me, there’s a possibility that I may be belting out my own tunes – of which “Silent Night” is my favorite.

As I sit at the table in my nana’s Northfield apartment today – joined by the annual crew of dinner guests made up of my mother, sister, niece, aunt and cousin – there is nothing but happiness.

When my 7-year-old niece Sierra stops us all from eating until we say grace and share one thing we are each thankful for, I try my hardest not to tear up. Leave it to the child at the table to remind us about the true meaning of this day.

A day in which there truly aren’t enough hours to offer up everything I’m thankful for. Such as:

• My friends in the military – and all those I don’t know but consider friends.

• I’m thankful for my firefighter cousins, and all their brothers at departments nationwide, for being on call 24/7 to serve as first responders in case of emergency.

• The police who serve and protect.

• The teachers who don’t bring personal or ideological agendas into the classroom.

• Youth and high school sports parents who just sit down, shut up and enjoy watching the games without being an embarrassment to their children.

• The high school athletic star that befriends the nerd, band member, chorus member or loner, rather than bullying them or believing the hype that they are too popular to be seen in public with these non-athletes.

• That same star who treats the managers like actual members of the team.

• Athletic departments and coaches who realize that punishing the star player is even more important in setting an example than say a third or fourth stringer.

• Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association using Thanksgiving Day as the regular season finale for football. More often than not these games determine who makes the playoffs. Maybe someday the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association will get this right.

• Pro athletes who use their fame to enrich their community more than their own wallets.

• Telegraph readers who offer up an informed opinion to stories.

• And those readers who offer nothing but anonymous personal attacks. You all give me something to laugh at on miserable days.

There are so many more items that can be thrown in the mix here, just not enough room. Plus, I have to conserve energy to be able to type out the list to Santa Claus sometime next week.

I sure hope he has those elves make me a new mallet. My old one just didn’t hold up to the abuse during the last gong column.

George Scione can be reached at 594-5887 or gscione@nashuatelegraph.com.