What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edition!

[Namikaze]

So, let me set up a scene for you: I had a bad day at work, I came home and was moping about it and I realized how foolish I was being, for various reasons.
Generally my life is going well, all things considered and I tend to be fairly happy. And, since I lurk on this board a great deal, I noticed that a great deal of posters vent about negative stuff, rather than things that are positive in their lives.

That being said, I'd invite you to take a minute and reflect on your life and share something that makes you happy about your life.

I'm thinking it's a great way to get everyone to reflect on their own personal good fortune. However, I will ask that this thread doesn't turn into one focusing on materialistic gains.

Nothing like... "I'm happy because I got this shiny new thing that I love"... You can talk about that in the latest purchases thread...

Similar to the Thanksgiving tradition of discussing what you are thankful for prior to the meal, without being related to the holiday.

So? Who wants to start?

(Also, I seem to remember there being a similar thread in the past, but I couldn't locate it, if it still exists. I apologize for making a new one if that is the case, but maybe the context of this one is different enough to justify it).

 

[Melakon]

Re: What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edit

I've been in an auto accident, I was a pedestrian hit by a truck, I've had a stroke, and all three should have killed me. Still alive.

 

[Namikaze]

Re: What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edit

I've been in an auto accident, I was a pedestrian hit by a truck, I've had a stroke, and all three should have killed me. Still alive.

I've been in an auto accident myself and am thankful for living through it, so I can sympathize with your feeling of luck, as I've had the same thoughts myself.

Not to distract from the original topic of the thread, but I was curious, what is the personal significance that your avatar has for you? I take it he's an actor, but why'd you choose that avatar? Just curious, in no way do I mean to be disrespectful.

 

[Kestra]

Re: What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edit

A lot of the "usual" things. I'm grateful for my health. It's not perfect but it could be so much worse. I'm grateful for my wonderful if sometimes very trying, family. I'm grateful for my friends, old and new, near and far, online and off. I'm grateful for the roof over my head, for second chances, for having a brain that works quite well. And I'm grateful that I got to keep my cat. Not a day goes by where I'm not grateful for that.

 

[Melakon]

Re: What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edit

Not to distract from the original topic of the thread, but I was curious, what is the personal significance that your avatar has for you? I take it he's an actor, but why'd you choose that avatar? Just curious, in no way do I mean to be disrespectful.

The reason Skip Homeier is the avatar is solely due to the screen name. He played Melakon in the TOS episode "Patterns of Force". The images in the avatar are Homeier at about 16 (don't remember the film title but it is not Tomorrow the World), in the film The Gunfighter with Gregory Peck, an appearance in The Outer Limits episode "Expanding Human" (where I first noticed his name when I was 13), and finally as Melakon. There's no personal significance other than they were the best images of him I could find. I deliberately avoided Dr. Sevrin, another TOS character he played, in case someone was already using that one. The screen name was chosen at random just to see if it had already been taken.The idea behind the avatar was to show other work he had done along with Star Trek. I wanted to include a shot of him from the film The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, but couldn't find a good closeup. The first version of the animated avatar only had the kid and Melakon.

Back on track.

 

[C. Cole-Chakotay]

Re: What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edit

I'm thankful for my home, food to eat, enough money to pay my bills, and my little pets (two gerbils and a guinea pig).

 

[BillJ]

Re: What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edit

My wife and kids.

They are simply wonderful people and a joy to be around. Even my adult daughter who drives me crazy.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edit

I am thankful for my family and my health and my home.

What makes me happy? Baseball, of course. And Redd's Apple Ale. And Corner Gas.

 

[Pondwater]

Re: What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edit

Grateful to be alive and have great family & friends.

 

[Davros]

Re: What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edit

Moochie and Perro

 

[Green Shirt]

Re: What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edit

Thankful for a roof over my head, relatively good health and a wife who puts up with my antics.

 

[Amaris]

Re: What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edit

I am thankful for what I have.

 

[Namikaze]

Re: What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edit

Wow Everyone, those are some great answers!
Melakon - Thanks for explaining your avatar.

Davros - I want a kitty....

Mr Laser Beam - you've got me pondering if Redds Apple Ale would be good to cook a turkey with.

Kestra - I really want a kitty...

J. Allen - Besides being thankful for what you have, is there anything you're thankful for which holds special significance currently? My Little Pony maybe? It's as popular as ever.

Bill & Green Shirt & Pond Water - Family rocks!

C. Cole-Chakotay - Being thankful for the simple things is easiest to forget, but profound to remember that sometimes they mean the most. Awesome!

Great responses everyone!

Keep it up!

 

[Spot's Meow]

Re: What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edit

I'm grateful that I have a job with hardworking and intelligent co-workers that appreciate me and the work that I do.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Re: What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edit

This article pretty much sums it up:

http://www.marcandangel.com/2013/11/12/11-little-signs-youre-doing-just-fine/

 

[Use of Time]

Re: What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edit

Just the every day life I lead. I left the Army in 2009 as a young officer who had finished 5 incredibly hectic years. Everybody told me I was crazy to leave with the job market the way it was and the obvious benefits of a twenty year career retirement. I deployed to Iraq in 2008 for a 15 month deployment and left an 11 month old daughter. When I returned, the baby in my wife's arms was now a walking talking kid with a pony tail. Another pregnancy later I simply love knowing that at 4 o'clock I am walking out of the office and will return home to a beautiful wife and two very fun kids. No more late nights, no more uncertainty of where we will live, no more sad faces when I was asked to leave for months on end for training or deployment's or whatever else they needed me to do. Pure contentment.

 

[Amaris]

Re: What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edit

...

J. Allen - Besides being thankful for what you have, is there anything you're thankful for which holds special significance currently? My Little Pony maybe? It's as popular as ever.

...

Well, as silly as it sounds, MLP did help pull me out of a very dark place. Things are still rough, but for some reason those little pastel ponies have made it just a little more manageable.

 

[auntiehill]

Re: What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edit

I'm thankful that my mom is still alive and doing fairly well at 80.

 

[nureintier]

Re: What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edit

My dogs, and the fact that my health has slightly improved over the past year or two.

 

[Namikaze]

Re: What are you Thankful for? What makes you happy in life? 2013 Edit

...

J. Allen - Besides being thankful for what you have, is there anything you're thankful for which holds special significance currently? My Little Pony maybe? It's as popular as ever.

...

Well, as silly as it sounds, MLP did help pull me out of a very dark place. Things are still rough, but for some reason those little pastel ponies have made it just a little more manageable.

I don't think it is silly, we all have ways that we spend our time that relax us or bring us happiness. I'm a fan of many cartoons too.

The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for instance... Love me some Turtles!