I was recently reminded of the Thankful Thursday series over at Talk Nerdy to Me by Louise Chapman. It’s such an important reminder to take a step back from our busy schedules and reflect on all the good things in our lives. If you’re reading this blog post, you have something to be thankful for. If nothing else, you’ve got a device with an Internet connection. Chances are you’ve got safe drinking water and a roof over your head too.

As you know, these kinds of lists go by all sorts of names. There’s the happiness list, there’s giving thanks, and there’s the gratitude list. Remember my 30 Days of Gratitude challenge? Well, I’m not going to go about listing 210 things that I’m thankful for this time around. What I am going to do is to highlight five observations for this edition of Thankful Thursday. And, here we go…

1. I Feel Safe During Evening Walks

One of my goals this year is to hit my daily step goal 250 times. That works out to be a little better than two-thirds of the time. Because I have this goal in the back of my mind, I’ve been making a conscious effort to walk more. Wearing a fitness tracker has been surprisingly motivating.

It’s not something I noticed right away, because privilege is oftentimes invisible to those who have it. Then, the thought hit me, almost out of the blue. I live in a very safe neighborhood. It’s so safe that I feel perfectly comfortable and safe walking around at night, with my headphones, strolling down some blocks with barely any light. This likely reflects some male privilege too.

I recognize that for a lot of people in a lot of other neighborhoods, both in Metro Vancouver and elsewhere, that an evening or nighttime walk around the neighborhood can be a great source of fear and anxiety. Me, not so much.

2. I’ve Been Sleeping Better

I suspect this has something to do with being more active (see above) too. From what I can gather, I’ve been sleeping better these past few weeks as well. According to the Fitbit app, I’ve been averaging a sleep score in the mid-80s (out of 100). While I still struggle with fatigue during the day, as so many of us do, I’ve had an easier time falling asleep and I haven’t been waking up as much in the middle of the night either.

3. I Got a Cool Bracket for My Camera

If you’re not into photography or videography, such a simple little product will seem rather inconsequential to you. If you’re also an aspiring YouTuber, you may appreciate the simple genius of such a product.

The NEEWER Flashgun Flash Bracket basically gives me another shoe mount, so I can use both my mini video light and external microphone at the same time. Handy! (This Vello-branded one looks identical, for any US-shopping readers out there.) It’s amazing how much joy a little $15 product like this can provide. The funny thing is that I haven’t even actually used this flash bracket yet; I’ve only tested out how to mount my gear on it.

What do you think?

4. I Can Listen to Her for Hours

Early on in my writing career, my “home office” was in the living room. During the day, I’d usually leave the TV on as background noise, “watching” The Price Is Right or The Today Show or Ellen or something. As I got older, I found the TV too distracting and I’d come to prefer complete and utter silence while working. Now, I want a little background music, but nothing with lyrics and nothing too distracting.

I dabbled in classical and baroque, moved on to “jazz cafe” type vibes, and tried a bit of lo-fi hip hop. Depending on my mood, sometimes I’ll put on something like the Her soundtrack. I’d never forgotten how good it was (Arcade Fire is amazing in everything they do). Something like “Song on the Beach” rides the delicate balance between melancholy and somber contentment. Call me a sucker for hipster millennial existentialism.

5. I Am Thankful for Distraction

Another one of my goals for 2020 is to read 25 books this year. I’m well on my way, having completed five bucks thus far. I’m currently reading Medallion Status by John Hodgman. It’s funny how I can “hear” his voice in my head as I read his words. To me, he will always be the deranged millionaire from The Daily Show. Books, on some level, are a distraction from our everyday lives.

In one part, as he talks about visiting sick children in hospitals, John Hodgman says this:

Art can be challenging or moving or unsettling. It can offer an awakening and it can offer solace. But I think art’s best value is that it is distracting. Weird Al let everyone think about something else that day, specifically Weird Al, which is a great thing to think about.

Yes, I am very thankful for Weird Al. From “Amish Paradise” to “The Saga Begins,” the man is a legend. He truly is “inter-generationally famous” too.

Grateful for a Thankful Thursday

Realistically, it’s just about putting everything in perspective. You may not be able to control everything in life, but you have some control over how you choose to receive and respond to it. I hope this Thankful Thursday inspires you to reflect on your own life and practice gratitude regularly too. What are you thankful for?

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