Being Thankful

When is part 2 of the bench DIY coming? It’s in the back of my mind and just around the corner. However, with most of us taking advantage of the four-day weekend, I wanted to give thanks. Before I jump into what I have to be thankful for. I wanted to share a little Thanksgiving history. If you know anything about me, I really enjoy history. There is so much we can learn from the past and look to the future. 

The first American Thanksgiving goes back to 1621. This is the harvest festival celebrated by the Pilgrims at the Plymouth Plantation in November. The settlers celebrated a three-day harvest feast after a successful growing season. We all know most holidays take place on Friday or Monday, for that infamous three-day weekend. With a three-day festival, it would make sense to the same. Yet traditionally it has been on Thursday going all the way back to George Washington. In 1863 Abraham Lincoln made it official with a proclamation declaring the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving. In 1939, November had five Thursdays, so Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the fourth Thursday to be Thanksgiving. Two years later Congress made it official and we now celebrate it on the fourth Thursday of November.

I’ve had several jobs during my career as an Architect. I’ve been fortune enough to always land at the right place at the right time. I got my first break in December of 1983. I worked for the same Architect until 1991. This was another turndown in the economy and I had an opportunity to move to Dallas. My first job in Dallas was just a little too political for me and when I had the chance to make a move I did. I did computer consulting on the side and one of my clients was MPI Architects. MPI was looking for a Project Manager, and I made the joke ‘why not me’. Before I knew it, I had an interview with Dennis DeLisse. I ended up staying at MPI for over 17 years and it was hard to say good bye to some of my best friends. I landed back in Tucson to be with Family and five years later it is an excellent job that has let me explore my home again. Work has brought some many thing to my life that I’m thankful for.

I would not be where I am professional without CSI. Circling back to Dallas and MPI, Dennis took the office to Dallas CSI chapter meeting in February 2000. if you read some of my past blogs, you know how thankful I am for CSI. CSI has allowed for me to grow as an Architect and stay connected to friends. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, the work, education and involvement are important. It is the friends that I keep coming back. Even when I left Dallas, CSI kept me connected to and enjoy every opportunity to get together.

CSI has quite the diversity in its membership. One of things that amazes me and I’m thankful for is the recourses that are available through CSI. I’m not talking about the technical resources, but the wealth of knowledge in my CSI friends. This diversity is what make CSI strong. But with out tolerance, there would not be diversity. It does sadden me to see the rhetoric or lack of tolerance in so many aspects of life around us, but I’m glad we can overcome it at CSI. I’m so thankful that we can embrace our differences to make construction a better place.

The best place to be of course is Family. I talk a lot about the CSI family, but moving back to Tucson has allowed for me to reconnect with my family. I was able to be with my Mom on her passing. I’ve been there for my Dad at every chance I can get. Spending time with my brothers, nieces and nephews. I’m thank for my daughter’s husband who is more than just a son-in-law. I’m proud of children and glad that both of my daughters live in Tucson and we get to spend a lot of time together. Most of all, I’m thankful for my wife Sophia who I had the privilege to share the last 30 years together. I would not be the man I am without her care, support and love. 

In closing and back to history… It’s important here to note that neither Lincoln, nor anyone else, ever declared the Friday after Thanksgiving as the national day of shopping. My recommendation for Friday is to go spend more time with your family and recover from that Turkey coma.

…and now for something completely different.
Banging your head against a wall burns 150 calories an hour. Just a side note… There are better ways to spend the hour and burn calories.

 

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CSINext December 2018 Meeting
Giving Back
 

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Friday, 29 March 2024