Our Distorted Story of Thanksgiving

Most folks think that Thanksgiving was a hearty meal happily shared among Native Americans and the Puritans; we characterize it as a gathering among diverse people to celebrate the successful harvest. That accounts for the abundance of food on that day and the camaraderie and games played. We see (we think) the breaking of bread among the Wampanoag Indians and the Settlers as a true sign of peace and equality.

For many, Thanksgiving evokes visual images, the most common of which are reflected in the painting above created in the early 20th century by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris. That painting, titled the First Thanksgiving (which ostensibly occurred in 1620), defines how many of us think about and observe this holiday. We take this pictoral image as being an accurate reflection of that famous November day.

But, as many might suspect deep down but not admit, the story of America's first Thanksgiving is not exactly what was depicted in the Ferris painting. We are rarely exposed to the true story, and certainly not in most history books and in elementary schools. For starters, not only did the Puritans (who were actually extremists) not dress as shown but the depicted Native Americans would not have been sitting on the ground; nor would they have been wearing feathered headdresses.

And, these visual miscues are just the start of a series of distortions-- some might say myths -- we have about this soon to be celebrated annual holiday. Much has been written about the actual meaning of "Thanksgiving." For starters, the first Thanksgiving apparently occurred long before 1620 and did not involve the Puritans. Turkey might not have been the main course; other fowl and deer may have been front and center. Some tellings of the story are that the Indians were actually not invited to the feast; they just showed up and in greater numbers than the surviving settlers. So much for a shared, planned breaking of the bread (so to speak).

I raise all this as we approach this particular 2017 Thanksgiving holiday because in some ways, for some of us, the stories we have been telling over the years about well-known and well-regarded members of our society turn out to be myths, untruths. Many of us are confronted with the sad reality that our politicians, actors, athletes and news people and icons of intellectual thought are not who we thought they were. Whether we are talking about Kevin Spacey or Charlie Rose or Glenn Thrush or Roy Moore, we are unanchoring (or so it feels) longstanding images of those individuals.

But, here's the irony. In each of these cases, there were people who actually knew (and often did not tell or share or publicize) the true story. Women and men who were abused by Spacey or Rose or Thrush or Moore or our President kept confidences -- sharing only with those closest to them. These victims are not shocked by the truth as it is now unfolding; they knew the untruths from the get-go. It's the rest of us who had distorted visions of many folks we admired and aspired to be or mimic.

So, in one of life's many ironies, the holiday we are about to celebrate is as filled with myths and lies as are the lives of many who are now falling off their pedestals because, in part, they could not keep their private parts private and to themselves. How strange that we are celebrating a fake holiday amidst the disclosures of truth about some of the most highly regarded folks in American culture -- in theatre, in movies, on television, in newspapers, on athletic fields, in the halls of academia, in schools.

It seems to me that the idea of giving thanks might not exactly seem or feel right this particular year -- 2017. For what exactly will we be giving thanks (apart from in a personal way among family for particular benefits we have received or bestowed like good health and good fortune and good employment and the like)?

I'm wondering if perhaps, at least for this year, we need to re-name the holiday of Thanksgiving. Perhaps this year, with all the disquiet among us and across our nation (and the Globe for that matter), the holiday is best temporarily titled: Thanksgone.

And here's a personal wish: over the next year or two or three, I hope we find our way back to celebrating our freedom, our diversity, our abundance, our camaraderie in an environment of truth and with a respect for the decency and bodily integrity of others. That would be a holiday of real Thanksgiving to which we can look forward. How we get there is another story (and another blog) altogether.

And for those disillusioned about today's world, I suspect that changing up the name of this upcoming holiday to more closely mirror reality for this coming Thursday -- using the term "Thanksgone" -- will help. Truth feels better to many of us. Remember, though, that Thanksgone is not a permanent state and it does not apply to the very personal blessings and good we may legitimately and honestly feel for those closest to us.

And, to that end, I do have some real thanks to give -- genuine thanks including to MW -- he is the real deal -- and I give thanks every day that he literally walked into my life in 2017. And, even if he walks out at some point in time down the proverbial road (which I hope never ever happens), his walking in has been worth a celebration.