Giving Thanks is What Life is All About on This Special Day
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As much as many of us, myself included at times, oftentimes complain and criticize NASCAR, there’s always one time of the year when it’s time to be retrospective and think – and be thankful for – about the sport we all love so very much, as well as the rest of our daily life.
Sure, Thanksgiving is about families, friends, food and football – not necessarily in that order for some people – but it’s also a time for us to count our blessings. Even in tough times like we’ve been in the last two years, with record unemployment and economic struggles, we can still smile and be thankful for something that means so much to us.
So, I’d like to give my 2009 version of what and why I’m thankful about:
1. My loving wife and three children – all who are now adults – that make me proud to be their husband and father. While my wife continues to rehabilitate from a severely crushed foot that has rendered her permanently crippled, the rest of us are in decent health, thankfully. Now, if only my wife could see some significant progress in her battle to return to a normal life. I keep praying.
2. That I have a job after being unemployed for so long.
3. That we have a celebrated, clean-living, all-American four-time champion such as Jimmie Johnson as a role model for both the sport, as well as to other drivers and fans young and old.
4. That NASCAR chairman Brian France is not afraid to stick to his guns, even in spite of criticism about his performance or the way the sport has devolved in recent years. Love him or hate him, France believes in being in things for the long haul. That’s why he hasn’t jumped to change things such as the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the COT, TV coverage and other things that invariably get people talking … and occasionally complaining.
5. That we have not seen a repeat on American soil of the ghastly and dastardly acts of terror that nearly devastated this great country on Sept. 11, 2001.
6. That we have a progressive president – and no, I’m not getting into a political debate about his merits or lack thereof – but that he’s someone who seems significantly more concerned about us, our troops and things such as our health than the previous guy that sat in the White House. Instead of worrying about global economy, which was one of the main reasons our country has suffered so greatly due to one man’s stupidity and stubbornness, we finally have someone who is a true leader and who will hopefully rebuild what someone else nearly destroyed.
7. That we have guys like Mark Martin who essentially give us older guys a real confidence boost, knowing that if he can still be a star and competitive at his age, we can still be as competitive as well. He’s a great role model, just like Johnson, but more so especially for us with graying hair, receding hairlines and growing midsections. Mark, you’re my hero – and I’m sure the hero of many millions of others.
8. That we haven’t lost any drivers in Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series or Camping World Truck Series crashes since Dale Earnhardt on Feb. 18, 2001. NASCAR’s insistence upon things such as the HANS device, the SAFER Barrier, the COT and other safety elements have been nothing but a Godsend for the sport, its competitors and its fans.
9. While he can be looked upon at times as still being occasionally immature, NASCAR would not be what it is today if it wasn’t for young superstars like Kyle Busch. He’s helped reinvigorate the sport with his winning and occasionally villainous ways – a role he gladly welcomes and accepts. He may be the guy many of you love to hate, and the guy that wears the black hat at times, but he’s single-handedly gotten more people talking in the sport since the days of the late Dale Earnhardt.
10. I want to thank my late mother and father, for without them, I wouldn’t be here, my kids wouldn’t be here and this column wouldn’t be here. Oh, and one more thing: thanks to AutoRacingDaily.com for coming along at a pretty dark time in my life and giving me an outlet to continue expressing my thoughts and opinions about my favorite sport and the people in it. You guys are great, and I look forward to a long and even more prosperous relationship in the coming years.
Now, let’s all have a safe Thanksgiving, let’s try not to eat too much (yeah, right, that’s the pot calling the kettle black (haha)), don’t get into any fights on Black Friday, and let’s all be thankful that we’re alive and have a lot more of life to enjoy and appreciate ahead of us.
Have a good Thanksgiving, everyone!
Posted by on 11/26 at 12:05 AMJB,
We’re thankful for your insightful, well written columns each week day. Thanks for taking the time to do it.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
-Taglia
