Thanksgiving

NY Diary (19-18): Thanksgiving

The more bad news there are, the more important to give thanks. I wonder, today, whether thanksgiving is more about turkeys than giving thanks, more about going through the motions than renewal. As time progresses, we curse more than we thank. And I wonder whether people look more at their phones than at each other during the festivities.

For sure, the news, real or fake, are increasingly hard to take. First, my laments, based on my own experience, and not political at all.

Inequity is growing, in every part of the world. Take my own life as an example. Being in NYC, for the first 2 years of my college I went to Brooklyn College, basically for free. When I went to medical school, the tuition for the first year was $3,500 and for my last year, four years later, it was around $5,500, and we thought that was expensive. I put myself through school by working as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. At the time, say, a Moo Shu Pork was a few dollars, say $5. Fast forward to now, my medical school would be around $80,000 in tuition, whereas said dish is perhaps $10-15. So, income earned as tip has doubled or tripled, but tuition increased over 15 times. There is NO way I could have put myself through school now. I don't envy wealth, but things have gone terribly wrong in the last decades. In HK, it is the same, perhaps even worse. Rent is so high many families of several can only afford to squeeze into a 100 ft room, bunk beds for all. Right now, like in the 80's, I see more and more homeless people in the subway and on the streets in NYC. Sigh.

The world is ignoring the very obvious climate change. When I was small, few in HK had air conditioners. Summer was hot, and we all hovered in front of the fan, but it was tolerated (granted, people of yore were more patient too), and relatively short. Now, HK is like summer for 9-10 months of the year, and no one would think of living without air conditioners. Similarly, in NYC, fewer and fewer snow storms and severe weather. And of course, shorter falls and spring everywhere. But we are still blessed. The worst thing is that the weather has gone crazy: warm places can get a snow storm; cold places can get a 100 degree temperature; and everywhere there is flooding.

Meat is now a culprit in the climate change debate. While I'd certainly enjoy good meat, I don't eat that much of it, and probably can go vegetarian if need be. My late mother was a devout buddhist, and a vegetarian for sure. She recited the scriptures everyday, and during thanksgiving would do special sessions for the turkeys that are doomed. Empathy for all beings.

Technology has brought wonderful things, but awful things too. I happen to think the digital age spreads hatred more than love. Hatred goes viral much more quickly than love. The superintendent in my building is Albanian, and I talked to him about this issue. He said, absolutely, in the past, everybody was OK in his country, Christians next to Muslims; but now the religious divide is greater than ever, and people don't talk across the divide.

The average audiophile has much to thank for. Whether we just have some spare change or are more endowed, we at least think of something other than the humdrums of life. We are lucky, to be able to indulge in a hobby, to be able to escape into a corner of our own, have an asylum, to have another sort of community and Peace!