For years I have proclaimed the truth that until kids hit thirteen, they’re made of rubber. Recently I had a registered nurse back me up on this. Don’t act like what I’m saying is crazy. Any parent can look back on their child’s early years and see this principle in action. I like to compare it to insects. Have you ever noticed just how much abuse most bugs can take before they actually suffer any bodily, er…exoskeletony harm? I mean, you can throw a cockroach off of a roof and he’ll just keep right on runnin’. So long as he doesn’t land on his back, that is. I’m sure there are numerous physics laws in effect that cause this, but I’ll leave explaining those to the scientific type out there.

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November brings different things to different parts of the country. Here in East Tennessee, we get falling leaves, Volunteer and Titans football, and lots of food. The “lots of food” part is especially widespread across the US. Every year on that momentous Thursday, family and friends gather around the table to eat, while outside, turkeys that are still alive count their blessings. We usually forget that Thanksgiving is a meal set aside for the purpose of giving thanks and not just gorging ourselves. Over the past few weeks, I asked friends, family, and acquaintances to send me brief stories from the last year of their lives that exhibit thankfulness. I’d like to share a few of these with you in hopes that you will be reminded to count your blessings at the table this year.

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In 2005 my wife and I moved into an old farmhouse. A far cry from our previous home in the suburbs of Atlanta, it’s located in a tiny, rural community about 45 minutes west of Knoxville, Tennessee. There were many features that drew us city folks, looking for a change of pace, to this particular home. It was a foreclosure, so it had a very attractive price tag. It needed quite a bit of work, but most of it was cosmetic (We were looking for a fixer upper.). It had a good bit of acreage with it, and it had a metal roof. The roof was certainly nothing to be proud of as far as appearance, but it was sturdy and full of character. More character than we’d ever imagined, and a feature we’d grow to appreciate.

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Great privilege brings great responsibility. It also tends to produce laziness, complacency, and pride. Those who enjoy much privilege usually also believe very firmly in what they refer to as their “rights.” The funny thing about “rights” is that people’s opinions rarely agree on exactly what rights an individual has. They range from the almost universal right to life to the downright absurd right to eat Twinkies. Here in the United States, we have a Bill of Rights that Congress created in 1789 whice we've added to and modified over the last 200 years. Technically, only the first ten amendments are considered the official Bill of Rights. America has been a country of great privilege since its founding, and I hope we can all enjoy a good exercise in humility by reviewing some of the rights that we are entitled to as citizens of this great land.

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If you haven't read "Chicken Dance," you'll want to read that first for some insight into my dealings with poultry. You'll better appreciate this installment of Snippets if you do.

My family acquired fourteen chickens at the beginning of this year. Now we have seven. The reduction in forces can be attributed to one factor. But before I tell you what that factor is, let me spend some time building up to it for awhile.

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It has happened to everyone. You bought a product that ended up having some horrible problem, and trying to get it serviced or replaced was like pulling teeth from an alligator you just maced. We could spend all day sharing our own horror stories and bashing companies that may not really be all that bad, but that won't get results. What you need to do is get some green stuff from that evil corporate behemoth that wronged you. I have my own awful story to tell about a certain baby superstore that shall remain unnamed, although I will tell you that it rhymes with Rabies Are Bus. Instead of boring you with my tale of woe, I'm going to give you a template so that you can take matters into your own hands and get results. Kind of like the Lord's prayer, this shouldn't be used verbatim. Use it as a pattern for creating your own customized memo.

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