TOLFA for the holidays

I could find out how long it has been since I reminded you to attend TOLFA- The On Line Freedom Academy- but I won't because it doesn't matter. A reminder is never out of line.

The holidays are a busy time. The second harvest festival and that old approaching Solstice give people a good excuse to celebrate before winter bears down. But the holidays also apparently give people a lot of time to spare, since they tend to watch a lot of televised games. And, sometimes hide in a spare room to catch a breath from all the relatives. Or is that just me?

Why not use some of that time to start going through the TOLFA course? Consider it a gift you are giving yourself- and one you'll probably want to share with others.

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Thankfulness

I am thankful for people. I am thankful for my family. I am thankful for the few friends who have stayed friends with me- as difficult as that may be- over the years. And, although I miss my friends more than I can possibly express, I am thankful that most of them are just an email away when I need to reach out- even if I usually decide to not bother them. I am thankful for those who have loved me in the past.

I am thankful for the people who have made me expand my horizons in ways I never imagined I could. I am thankful for those who encouraged me to put myself into uncomfortable situations where I felt like I was totally out of place- but then stood by me while I got comfortable enough to enjoy the experience.

I am thankful for those who comment on my blog posts, my Facebook dribblings, and those who share my writings with others. Those who read what I write, and then take action on it, make me feel I am not wasting my time. And that is a great feeling. I am thankful for the people who choose to voluntarily support and encourage my writing habit with actual money.

There are other, maybe trivial, things I am thankful for.

I am thankful that I can eat just about anytime I want to. And that there is a variety of things I can choose from. Not to knock the "buy local" notion, but I'm very happy I am not trapped into eating only what is grown locally, when it happens to be in season. I am thankful that I have heat in the winter- and even more incredibly, that I have cool air in my house in the summer. I am thankful I don't usually sleep on rocks or roots, and that I don't wake up with my head having been buried while I slept by an industrious gopher. Until it has happened to you, you may not realize you should be thankful when it doesn't happen. I am thankful I can make fire (or heat) without having to actually make fire.

I am thankful that I can get on this electronic wonder box and interact with people all over the planet- although I am thankful I can also choose not to interact with Nigerian princes and Ghanaian lonely-hearts with the push of a button.

I am thankful that I can still go most days without being forced to interact with government employees. I am thankful that in most cases, even ignoring their "laws" comes without immediate consequences.

I am thankful for the experiences I have had and the memories I keep inside my head. I am thankful I can still imagine a better future.

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