My parents brought me up with the values of the times then.  Those values included "please" and "thank you" as a part of our daily lives.  A man's word was his bond and you could put it in the bank.  These days it seems as though "please" and "thank you" have gone the way of the dinosaur  and instead of a handshake to seal a deal these days, it's a 200 page contract prepared by an attorney, signed, sealed and notarized.  Even with all that protection for the signee and signor, an attorney with a little more smarts can find a way to legally break what you thought was a legally binding contract.

The point to all this is that we are, as of Thursday of this week, entering into the extended holiday season that we in the United States celebrate each year.  This Thursday we will celebrate the reasons for which we are thankful but make no mistake, our thankfulness belongs to God, not the government or other entity.  God has seen fit to bless this country with the abundance of resources to enjoy and to benefit the inhabitants.

From Thanksgiving we move on into the Christmas season, although retailers would have you believe that the Christmas season began as soon as you cleaned the grill after your Labor Day cookout.  I can't  express my disgust with this attitude.  I am seeing where certain retailers are opening in the early morning hours of Thanksgiving Day rather than the customary "black Friday".  Sort of started last year when some chose to open Thanksgiving evening.  This disgusts me and I hope folks will stay away from the exploitation of their wallets on Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is a day that belongs to family.  I recall the days of my youth when the family would gather and watch the Christmas parade from New York while the smells of Mama cooking dinner wafted through the house.   We would usually eat about 1:00 and then all us kids would go outside to play in the chilly afternoon of a South Carolina November Thursday.  I actually missed only three Thanksgivings at home with my family.  The first was in 1963 when my Uncle Bobby decided to take in a race in Randleman, NC.  The second was 1967 when the Navy had other plans for me and the next was 1968 when the Navy also decided to deprive me on Mama's home cooking.  Oh, we had some good "chefs" on board my ship, but they couldn't come close to Mama's turkey and dressing.

We had sort of a family tradition growing up where we sat around the table as Daddy carved the turkey and we would each say what we were thankful for.  I cannot recall a single thing I may have said in those days because to a boy  and then a teenager, what I chose as blessings to me were not considered such by adults.  But I do remember being thankful for the wonderful home we had.  Never realized how small that house was until much later in life but the love that filled that small home would certainly fill the largest mansion by today's standards.

These days we have Thanksgiving at our daughter's home with her husband and the three grandsons.  The tradition of saying what they are thankful for sort of comes and goes each year but sometimes those kids come up with very  profound statements when expressing their thankfulness.  As for me, each year I grow older and sit around the table with "my" family, I cannot express my thankfulness.  I actually begin to get a lump in my throat as I think of all the blessing I continue to receive each and every day.

All of what I have thus far said is not intended to be a "sermon from a pulpit" nor a lesson in morality.  I simply wanted to paint a word picture of where I intend to go this week.  As most of you know, I lost my Uncle Bobby on October 29th, the day after my 67th birthday.  He was the one who introduced me to racing when I was five years old.  Although I was deeply saddened by his passing, I had to accept that I was thankful that he would no longer suffer with the health problems he had experienced.

This past week, our RacersReunion family lost Jack Carter, a man, if you don't know, who loved life and experienced every joy it has to offer.  Jack and I were close friends, or as close as you could be seeing each other once a year at the Hillsborough event and exchanging numerous e-mails each day.   Jack had e-mailed me last week to say he was having by-pass surgery and asked for my prayers.  I wrote him back that I would certainly do that.  The last e-mail from Jack was "Thank you Tim". I did NOT respond with "not a problem" even though with the relationship Jack and I enjoyed such a remark from me would have solicited a smart comeback.  Rest in peace my friend.

So, by now most of you are shaking your heads and wondering what this has to do with racing.  Good point.  I know I got off on a wild tangent, but those where things I just wanted to say.  Before I get onto the racing subject, let me say I am deeply grateful for all the blessing I enjoy, my wife, my family, my health, and my security and I hope that each of you will examine your life to find those things for which you are thankful.    As I read in a daily devotional book this week, if your car won't start because the battery is dead, be thankful you have a car.  If your work doesn't go exactly as you wish, be thankful you have a job.  Well, you get the picture.

As for what this has to do with racing, I will say that I have been a huge critic of NASCAR for quite some time now, not because I hate NASCAR but rather because I want NASCAR to return to the vibrant days it enjoyed when it paid attention to the fans.  I am thankful for NASCAR.  I am thankful for Big Bill France and what he, along with the help of many  unrecognized individuals, accomplished with the organization.  I am thankful that Bill, Jr. had the foresight to associate with R.J. Reynolds to bring us into the Winston Cup era.

I am thankful for each and every pioneer of the sport who gave so much of themselves to build the sport into a major player in the sports world.  I am thankful for the families of all those pioneers who gave so much to racing.

I am thankful for this website which has given many of us an opportunity to express our opinions, record our memories, and share with each other a feeling of connection as an extended family of kindred spirits.  I am thankful to Jeff for allowing me to have this time every Tuesday night and to post a daily Forum on the Racing History Minute and I am thankful to all those contributors to those History Minutes that add so much to my meager efforts.

I am thankful that I live in the greatest country on earth, although we have our political deficiencies, and that the greatest military power ever known protects our freedoms.  At the recent Veterans' Day Parade in Columbia, I encountered a group of about 12 young men from basic training at Fort Jackson.  The youngest was 18, the oldest 20.  What does it take for those kids to commit themselves to protect our country?  That is special.  I thanked them for their service and not one, repeat NOT ONE, responded with "not a problem".

As we go through this week and come to that special day Thursday, my prayer will be that we all can realize the many blessing we each have.  Oh, I will watch the parade from New York and pretend I'm a kid again.  After a wonderful dinner at our daughter's home, Ann and I will come home and about  8:00 p.m. , I'll pull out the DVD of "White Christmas" and pop it in the home theater system.  That was one of my Mama's favorite movies and I watch it every Thanksgiving evening.  I thank my Mama for instilling such appreciation in me and I'm sure she would agree that was "not a problem" but she would say "you're welcome" because that's the way life was.

Thank you for indulging me in this Happy Thanksgiving wish to you all. I pray God's richest blessing upon us all.