Things I Am Thankful For

Well, folks, it's that time of year again. Time for turkeys and tofurkey, cranberries and stuffing, pumpkin pie and cinammon-flavored desserts--not to mention time to count your blessings and figure out all the things that one has to be happy for. Every year, I try to make a list of all the things that I am thankful for, just so I can remind myself, "Hey, idiot, things are never as bad as you think they are." So, in the time- and Oprah-honored tradition of being thankful, I present my list of things that I am happy for.

1. I'm thankful that I am living out my dreams of being a professional writer and working in the industry that I love the most: the entertainment industry. It's great that I get to go to red carpet galas and snap pics of celebrities and sometimes even get to meet and talk with them. It makes me happy to know that I'm connected to an industry that helps to lift people out of the sorrows of their daily lives and helps them relate to one another through the sharing of our experiences and stories through movies, music, books and stage. To be part of this "pop culture consciousness" is something that I have always aspired to, and I'm very grateful to be part of it--and get paid to do it.

2. I'm thankful that my family is relatively healthy and all making it through life and seem to be happy in and of their own lives. I'm thankful that my parents are both still alive so that I can continue to get to know them and hopefully build solid adult relationships with so that I don't go through the rest of my life wondering who the hell they were.

3. I'm thankful for my job at AVN Online (where this pic was taken just today by a co-worker), where I get paid to do the thing I love the most: write. It's essential to my well-being that I am employed in my field, and since getting this job earlier this year, my life has been in an upswing and I have been happier than I've been in quite some time. I'm also thankful for the various magazines that I do freelance work for, guaranteeing that every bit of my income comes from some kind of writing. The day that I actually realized, "Hey, I am fully supporting myself off of my art," I can't tell you how happy that made me. That I am still doing this gives me hope for the future, and I just know that bigger things are around the corner for me.

4. I'm thankful for my cat Masha, truly one of the greatest soul mates that I've ever had in my life. Ever since my Uncle Joe found her--emaciated and covered in dirt and sh#t--in the parking lot of the church next door and brought her over to my parents' house that fateful day back in 1997, Masha has been one of the sweetest, most affectionate pets that I've ever had, and I am convinced that we have bonded in a very profound way. When I wake up in the mornings to find her lying on top of my back or when she snuggles up to me on the couch while I'm watching TV, I feel that there is a reciprocal exchange of energy that transcends human-animal lines of separation. She is truly one of my best friends, and has been for such a long time now. She is the best. :)

5. I'm thankful for all my friends all over the country, and I'm especially thankful that two of my best friends from various points in my life have relocated to Los Angeles. Having two of my greatest friends (Mike from college, Trent from my days at the Maryland Ensemble Theatre in Frederick) in this big, unforgiving city with me makes every day easier to deal with.

6. And, yes, goddamnit, I know this makes me sound totally "gay," but damn it, I'm thankful for Madonna. LOL!

Anyway, those are just a few of the things that I am thankful for right now. I'm sure there are more, but suddenly I'm bored being thankful!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE! You're in my thoughts!

XOXO,
Hollywood Ken