On Thanksgiving: Gratitude, Grace, and the Messy Middle

David Sparks over at MacSparky shared some thoughts about polarization at the Thanksgiving table. He references the recent revelation on X that some of the inflammatory political content we’re seeing on social media is being created by profiteering foreign nationals in other countries:

So we should stop letting folks halfway around the world profit from making us hate each other. Your uncle who votes differently from you? He’s not the enemy. He’s just on the other wing of the same bird. And last I checked, birds need both wings to fly.

I am at my best as a consensus builder. At work, I make decisions all the time because it’s my responsibility. I find those decisions are often most effective when they can start in the “messy middle” and be grounded in the voices, experiences, and perspectives of the group I manage and work with every day. The buck stops here, but that doesn’t mean I can’t hear what others have to say.

At home, my wife and I make decisions together. When we disagree, we do so respectfully, with the understanding that we’re both heading in the same direction and sharing the same vision.

I’m thankful for the people in my life. Those I call friends and my family. They accept me and I them, regardless of who we vote for or what they think our foreign policy should be. My life is richer because of them, and my greatest desire is to be someone who brings the same joy and connection to them that they give to me.

Happy Thanksgiving friends. Eat some turkey, take a walk, touch grass, watch the game, and be grateful. Remember, those people at the table won’t be around forever.