I know not what course others might take, but as for me, give me turkey or give me death!
I wish every one a Happy Thanksgiving until the last leftover is devoured. This holiday has made me realize how much nostalgia is a part of the joy. I mean you look forward to dishes that you only get once a year ... Aunt Betty's pumpkin pie ... Grandma's special stuffing. I mean even the tradition of the Holiday is based on an idealized vision of the players. I read today where the Indians are now being viewed as a sophistocated people using the Pilgrims to advance their own political intrigue. I guess yesterday's savage is tomorrow's Machiaveli. Yoko and I earlier this week spent time discussiong the various memories that this time brought about.
For me, Thanksgiving in my earliest days meant getting up and watching two movies I only got to see on Thanksgiving. I mean football wasn't an issue (still isn't) and the parade was ... okay ... but what I was waiting to watch was in the morning right after Captain Kangaroo, "Gulliver's Travels" (the Fliescher animated cartoon) and after dinner ... "Miricle on 34th Street." Dinner was at Auntie Gretchen's and Uncle Askel's. I remember back in those days I was hard pressed to eat anything orange. Mincemeat ... forget it. So Auntie Gretchen would make parfaits for me. I would come in sweep the fromt walkway and the back patio and she would shake her head. "John, you need to watch your weight ... girls won't be interested if you are fat." She would then show me without skipping a beat not one but two parfaits, each but a foot tall which I was expect to consume in all. There would be the fine china and a lace table cloth but what I would remember most of the setting were two white Royal Dalton pepper and salt shakers gilded with gold in the shape of male and female turkeys. But most of all I remember the closeness and the feeling of family.
But as time passes, changes are bound to happen. The first was the loss of Uncle Askel and for a while Auntie Gretchen consoled herself with cruises. It was during on Thanksgiving that Mom decided that we should have a story telling contest. Dad's story was of history and of God. Mine was a thrilling tale of Indian chases and and the rescue of a fair maiden. But Mom won the prize. Her story was about a Pilgrim baby adding pepper to the pumpkin pie filling. The Cheif loved it but even though she had the recipe his wife could never get it to taste as good as that Thanksgiving. Eventually Auntie Gretchen returned to us. But as more time turned, more changes came. I started work at Disney, which being a 24/7 operation meant sometimes . . . most of the times I was away from home. But we compensated and celebrated the day when I came home. We realized what was important was having one's family around you.
But sometimes that was impossible. Coming to work at the hotel and to Bell Services. I learned what it was like to have brothers. Everyone in your buisness, fussing and fueding but supporting and except one another . . . eventually. Disney was another family. Managers would let as many perople off as they could, reducing staff to a minimum and replacing those they could with part time help. Those who couldn't be off were sent home as soon as possible. But to comfort theose on duty a feast was prepared. The managers would provide the turkey and all would contribute . . . even if it was just a hearty appitite. And like all family Thanksgivings stories grew and were told. Memories were remembered and it seemed like family almost. It reminded me of Scrooge taking about his old employer Fezzywhig, with a few coins having the power to make his employees happy.
This year, management only allowed 2 cast members off, holding off to the last minute, causing a scramble to find the few part timers that could cover shifts, which they were sore pressed to approve. I knew I wasn't going to be one of the chossen few and in past it really hasn't mattered. But this year one of the changes in my life that has occured is that I have a beautiful woman to love and be loved by. She has family and of all the holidays this is the one that is important to them. So resigned to my duty as I went to work as she left to her family. And on this feast day . . . for Bell Services, there was none. The managers snubbed us ... not a single crumb. To add to insult, the cafeteria has traditionaly offered a 99 cent dinner. It wasn't really very good but it was something . . . a kind gesture. This year they charged 4 times the amount. When questioned, their response was that they were only allowed 4 days to offer such specials and they were already used up. This of course means that we can expect the same treatment of Christmas. Bah Humbug! When aproached for early release, AM management's reply was I don't care if they want to go home. It was duly noted that he hid in his office most of the day and went home to his Thanksgiving dinner. I worked my whole shift even though I had larengitis. As I was about to clock out the PM Manager met me with that since several indiviguals had called in, that he could hold me on manditory overtime. His jest fell flat.
This is just one incident of the current management's insensativity. I would hope that it is not of a malicious nature and would prefer to give them the benifit of the doubt and rather blaime it on their lack of leadership ability. If there is one thing that can said that the current management excells in, it is that. There is a t-shirt I have seen worn by guests, reputed to be sold by the company, that reads,"The beatings will continue until moral improves." This seemes to be current philosophy and seemingly endorsed and incouraged by our area manager. She started with us and seemes to of forgotten her roots. She certainly serviced the needs of this department far more successfully on her first tour of duty with us than the present. In the story Beowulf, leige lords were called "Ring Givers." Those who were generous were immortalized, the tightfisted vilafied all in an effort to remind those who would lead that they must give to those who they would follow. I doubt if there is any in our department that would take a step to urinate on a manger if they were on fire. Walt Disney never paid much, but then he never took a large salary for himself. But Walt knew how to draw the best out of people's talents and push them in the direction that he needed them to go. But he made them feel part of it all . . . what he felt was his family. This management team is deffinately not Disney.
But don't think me ungrateful. I have a job, that usually pays the bills. I have family and friends to love and care about and that recipricates measure for measure. I am grateful to my future mother in law, Trina who gathered up the family Thanksgiving meal, that even though I wasn't there I might share in their bounty. But most of all I have Yoko, a woman that gives me love, support, strength and the promise of a future that I have dreamed of all my life, ever since I observed what my parents had . . . all three of them. And if you have made it this far . . . it means I have readers . . . no matter how few, that will endure my rants and ramblings. Thank you. Thank God, I am a blessed man.
