Thankful for McCracken

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of spending my Saturday evening with my closest friends in an early celebration of the American holiday known as Thanksgiving. It was the second edition of this annual event, held in the basement of the home in which I live with my roommates. After raking leaves and frolicking in them with my roommates/bandmates, we returned inside to prepare the bird. Four hours later, and with guests gathered around our pool table, we enjoyed the fruits of our labor.

This tradition got me thinking about life. I reflected and I realized that I work as a janitor at a college campus even though I’m smarter than everyone who goes there. Sometimes I’ll walk into a classroom and see a half-finished equation written on the chalkboard and I’ll just go ahead and finish it. I make a meager wage, but such is my life.

So as we were sitting around the dinner table last night, I felt the cliché urge to have everyone go around and say what they were thankful for. No one else wanted to, so we didn’t. However, I will publicly state here, without embarrassment, that I am thankful for my friends and family who have helped me through a pretty difficult time in my life. If not for them, I’m not sure if I’d be as happy or comfortable with myself now.

I have also realized that a lot of times, things in life don’t go as we plan them, and that’s absolutely fine. I struggled with that concept for a long time, but have come to the realization that there are just so many things in life that we as people can’t control and we have to learn to deal with them. If someone would have told me three years ago that I’d be looking into graduate school in economics I would have told them they were crazy. I thought I’d be a year away from being commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard.

As I’m sitting here writing this, there’s some chick-flick on TV and the protagonist quoted John Lennon in saying, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” That couldn’t be more true. It makes me a little happier and a little more content with where I’m at. I’m reminded of a friend who told me her friends left a party where they were welcomed to find a better one. They were turned away twice and just went home and went to bed. Kind of reminds me of when you hear a song on the radio, but you search for a better one only to go back and the first song is over.

I don’t think Lennon was suggesting that we just be content and float through life as worthless blobs with no ambition. It’s good to have ambition and goals. But it’s important to slow down and just appreciate where you’re at. Take some time to rake leaves and be happy you can breathe in beautiful Toledo air. Then if you get a chance, do a quick rake jump. It’s where you put the rake pointy-edge up and then jump on it so the handle smacks you in the face.

Sometimes you need a wakeup call in life like a rake jump, similar to the ones I have on an ongoing basis. It will hit you: Wow, I need to change some things. So far it’s been working. It also worked for Nick Cage in “The Weatherman.” “The first time I was struck with something, a chicken breast from Kenny Rogers. I was standing next to a garbage pail. I thought it might’ve been an accident, that they were throwing it out. The second time, it hit me square on the chin, a soft taco. Then, pop. A falafel. McNuggets. Always fast food. Fast food. [Expletive] people would rather throw out than finish. It’s easy. It tastes all right, but it doesn’t really provide you any nourishment.” Sometimes, we all need to be hit with our own soft tacos.

So what does all of my rambling mean for you? I’m not sure.

There are no right or wrong answers, and I’m not a therapist. If you’re happy with who you are and where you’re at, enjoy it. Be thankful. Don’t change the song. If you’re not happy, or if you’re mad at yourself, upset with yourself, identify some changes in your life.

I used to joke around in middle school because it seemed like the main theme of health class was “Be Yourself.” Be yourself, that’s all you can do. I guess after having that beat into your head, it’s probably true. Sometimes people ask me how I decide what to write about. Well, unless there is a major political development that I feel inclined to comment on (assuming I’m in the mood to deal with the ramblings on the comment boards), I usually just write about whatever comes into my mind. I’m just being myself — like “Manny being Manny.”

I have about one paragraph left, and after diving deep into a serious Thanksgiving message, I would like to leave you with a humorous image. It usually makes me smile when I think of Ernie McCracken from the 1996 movie, “Kingpin.” It’s a great movie with Woody Harrelson and Randy Quaid. Bill Murray plays Ernie McCracken, a professional bowler who goes up against Woody Harrelson’s character at the end of the movie. Just do a quick image search for Murray’s Character, and you will laugh at how over-the-top McCracken’s comb-over and clear bowling ball with a rose in the middle really are. Good casting. Now that’s something we can all be thankful for.

— Anthony Russo is an IC Columnist and a junior majoring in economics.