Thanksgiving revisited-Williamsburg VA

I think this time last year i was secretly resentful towards this holiday.  I was in a miserable state and i didn't even realize until me and my family gathered in Williamsburg last year.  I was late getting to the time share due to getting lost once i hit Virginia border.  I was priding myself on getting there exactly 7pm in time to watch Monday Night Football at Longhorn while i waited for everybody else to get there en route from the road.  I ended up getting lost outside of Williamsburg and needed to wait till i could get a decent signal on my cell to communicate with my Aunt who met up with me at a nearby plaza.  I was scared, annoyed and tired from the extra hours i put in driving around like a chicken with its head cut off.  Not only that but i ended up in a foul mood for most of the stay, so much so i decided to leave the morning after on my own because for some reason, it seemed like Mom and i were not vibing, and i felt as if i was invisible and didn't need to be there.  Now i look back i think i put pressure on myself to have a an interesting update about my life when i should know no one really cares what i been going through or up to unless i bring it up.  I didn't relax at all last Thanksgiving. My cousin and his fiancee were visiting as well as his sister who i hadn't seen in a while, and i felt like they had stories to tell and i didn't.  That foul attitude is what caused me to argue with one of my Aunts and keep my distance from another.  I wanted to leave Thanksgiving night, but i tolerated it.  I think Mom totally was unaware because she was busy enjoying the time.  It was only when i packed up to leave she realized i was serious and just wished me a safe trip home and told me to contact her once i did get home. She didn't really ask what was wrong later, which i hated, but all in all it was my own issues and misery does love company. 

This year, I feel good, optimistic and thankful.  God has truly helped me learn to adjust to life's natural ups and downs this year. After a really early morning shuttle to 30th Street station to take an Amtrak directly into Williamsburg, it started out as an unconventional start to Thanksgiving, yet that's what made it even more sweet.  A different routine than just waking up and waiting for the day to unfold.  Instead, i was gabbing on the train with my neighbor next to me, dozing off here and there and loving being on a train instead of behind the wheel dealing with traffic or squeezing into the backseat.  Good times.  Although the stay this year is short, i think it is just enough as today's warm weather for November has welcomed another day.  I have learned from last year to truly count my blessings. I am really grateful that i am able to see another Thanksgiving and i hope that other family members and friends are enjoying it as well.

ROUNDHOUSE MEMORIES

I think it's important to be okay with daydreaming and fantasizing.  Since i have no cable or internet for this short period after a brush with a hurricane this past week, i have grown to appreciate the old DVDs that i have in my collection. Back in the 90's there was a show i absolutely loved as a teenager. This Nickelodeon sketch comedy called ROUNDHOUSE was the most hilarious show i had seen in a while. Complete with its MTV camera angles, catchy songs, funny skits, innovative dance routines and intelligent life themes in each episode, it helped me find my happy place.  It was during this time that i truly felt connected to another world. Watching people just as animated and quirky as me was so refreshing. I fantasized about being a part of this show, so i could escape from the doom and gloom that was my teenage experience.  Every Saturday night i was glued to my TV to watch the actors and singers bring to life colorful storylines and sing great original songs.  It made me laugh, smile and dance in my room every Saturday night.  As i watched these episodes over these past couple of days with no cable, i almost forgot how much i remembered and loved about this show. I quickly remembered who were my favorite actors, what were my favorite sketches and dance numbers and the song i knew from beginning to end. A couple of episodes rang true to me recently as i watched them over again.  There was a theme in one show about talent and one's own idea of what true talent is.  There was also a show on self-image.  Both shows had songs at the end of the episode that had good lyrics and didn't get lost in the antics that surrounded the show and made it great. It seems so weird that this show aired between '92 and '94 before it was canceled, because it seems like it could still fit into the array of shows that air today. At one time i had the episodes on VHS, but i eventually threw them out thinking it was a phase and i had moved on but i guess i never did. This is when social media came in handy. If i hadn't joined a Roundhouse Facebook group i would have never been able to own all the episodes on DVD now.  Roundhouse wasn't just a show to me, it was a magic wand that took me away from my reality to a clever world full of talented people.  Amazing how sometimes television can take you out of reality yet enhance life skills at the same time.  Here's to that inner teenager that is still very much inside. Thank you Roundhouse, you guys did a great service to me.