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| The morning project, getting the tables ready for mass consumption |
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving to all our Voyagers, Troubadours, and Space Fans!
Today I'm thankful for my wonderful, crazy, eccentric family and awesome friends. I'm thankful for the twenty-three years I spent with outstanding dedicated staff and volunteers in a happy place we call 'The Space Center'. I'm thankful for the 325,000 people who came through our doors on voyages of imagination. I'm thankful for dedicated, caring, and hard working people who work with me in the Voyager Club. I'm grateful for Mr. James Porter from the CMSEC and Mr. Casey Voeks from DSim for their kindness and good humor. I'm thankful for bright, energetic, and enthusiastic 6th graders who keep me on my feet and young.
The Williamson's will be converging at my niece's home in Highland to eat large quantities of food. You never know what you'll get at a Williamson holiday gathering. In the best of times, the event could pass peacefully with little to report other than Great Grandma Luella managing to keep a portion of her meal on her plate and off her blouse and the children survive with little or no blood loss.
In the worst of times, there could be fireworks if family members aren't strategically positioned around the Thanksgiving table. I'm hoping my sister remembers to seat our family's few remaining independents between the rabid Republics and the Peace, Land and Bread Democrats. Great Grandma Luella has already been chastised by my sister Lisa for attempting to convert her children to socialism. Great Grandma has been brushing up for this holiday reunion by watching hundreds of hours of PBS and CSPAN.
We sometimes have a problem with religion. Not only must my sister separate family members with strong political views, she must also take into consideration the family's diverse religious beliefs as she sets out the name places around the table. Those who favor reincarnation are generally tolerated by the liberals. They will be sat at the end of the table. Our Mormon majority are too numerous to separate so they must be sub categorized by conviction. Forgiving, back of the chapel Mormons, are good to mix with the minority agnostics. Front row, hymn singing Mormons are good to sit near the old people's section at the front of the table. It makes it easy for calling on someone to offer the Thanksgiving blessing on the food.
One of my jobs at all holiday reunions is to monitor the gathering and inject myself into any conversation or situation that appears to be approaching the boiling point. My 33 years in the classroom uniquely qualifies me for the task. I know the family very well, having been a part of it for 57 years, and can generally detect the raising of voices quickly enough to bolt across the room, squeeze in between the combatants and turn a phrase fast enough to cool the waters and redirect the conversation's flow. I've been brushing up on anecdotes and feel confident I can keep things civil and peaceful until everyone goes home to debate whether or not they'll ever go to another gathering again.
I have the nuclear option if my efforts to keep the peace fail. I walk over to Great Grandpa Charlie, pull him away from the poor soul he's trapped in a conversation for 30 minutes, and tell him that So and So had a question on the how to prepare for the fast approaching apocalypse.
"You've come to the right person," he'll say as he maneuvers across the crowded room to find his new subject. Great Grandpa Charlie believes the world will end by the end of the year. He has believed the world will end at the end of every year since 1968, which is why he purchased six acres of farmland in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
"We won't starve if I keep the land," he answers proudly whenever asked why he doesn't sell the land and pocket the profit. His survival plans unravel when we press him for details on how we are suppose to get to South Dakota if things suddenly head south and starving mobs ravage neighborhoods.
"You've come to the right person," he'll say as he maneuvers across the crowded room to find his new subject. Great Grandpa Charlie believes the world will end by the end of the year. He has believed the world will end at the end of every year since 1968, which is why he purchased six acres of farmland in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
"We won't starve if I keep the land," he answers proudly whenever asked why he doesn't sell the land and pocket the profit. His survival plans unravel when we press him for details on how we are suppose to get to South Dakota if things suddenly head south and starving mobs ravage neighborhoods.
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| Last Year's Thanksgiving after the meal Williamson Family Portrait. |
Anyway....... I'm hoping you and yours have a very enjoyable day.
Mr. Williamson
The Imaginarium
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