Hello and welcome to the latest issue of Fervent Curiosity. My name is Victor De Anda and this is my newsletter.
It’s Thanksgiving again and everywhere you look, social media is telling us we should be thankful. Thankful for being alive, for being fortunate, for so many things. But why just this time of year, and not every day? I can tell you one thing—each time I wake up in the morning, I say thank you. When I finish writing a story, I give thanks. Why? Because not everyone is so lucky.
When I was a kid, our Thanksgiving tradition was heading over to my aunt’s house. She was a great cook and baker. The meals were always delicious. I sat at the kid’s table with my sister and cousins.
As I got older and moved away to college, I made a point of coming back for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Even after graduating, I made the trip home for both holidays to be with friends and family.
But then one year, for financial reasons or otherwise, I stopped traveling home for Thanksgiving. Was it the pain of flying over the holiday? It just wasn’t that a big deal, it seemed. I began attending Friendsgiving dinners instead of coming home. I had my L.A. family too.
So it was with my family as well. With my sister and me both away from home, my parents just did their own thing. Some years they went over to my aunt’s house, other times they had a small gathering at home.
One year when I was living in L.A., I met a friend for Thanksgiving dinner. He was also staying local instead of traveling home for the holiday. We met at the Denny’s on Sunset near the 101 Freeway. We sat in a booth and traded funny stories as we ate our turkey and stuffing. During the meal, I noticed an old man sitting in a booth by himself. He wore a trench coat and weathered fedora like some film noir detective on the beat. He was also eating his dinner— alone. I pointed out the man to my friend and remarked how that could be us in twenty years. My friend laughed it off, but I was being serious. I felt bad for the man.
As time went on, I made it a point to be home for Thanksgiving on a semi-regular basis. When my father was dying of cancer and near the end, I made it home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. His doctor told us these might be his last holidays with us, so it was important. We lost my father just two months after that Christmas.
After I got married, my wife and I tried to split holiday visits between our families. It wasn’t always easy. Flying during the holidays can be a real pain. Nowadays, we spend more holidays with my in-laws since we live 3 miles from them now. But we do manage to get to Texas to see my mother and extended family every so often.
All of this is to say that even though I forgot about Thanksgiving and being grateful for a while, I’ve come around. I can appreciate it again. But I don’t limit my gratitude to just this time of year. For me, it’s thankfulness every day, all the time. Why just give thanks once a year?
I’m thankful for the family and friends who have given me their support over the years. For the ones who’ve stuck with me through the good times and the shit ones. For my wife, who’s my biggest cheerleader. For the mentors who have guided me with their wisdom. Life’s too short to not be appreciative.
I’m thankful for all my writing and reading friends as well. Writing’s a solitary vocation, but without these people, it would be unbearable.
What are you thankful for?
What I’m Reading:
I’m still reading “The Contortionist’s Handbook,” by Craig Clevenger. When I’m not reading that, I like to read short stories. Sometimes I like to change things up by reading shorter pieces.
What I’m Writing:
I’m revising stories and plan on submitting them soon. I can also announce that my story “Two Day Rental” will appear in the Dark Waters anthology! The TOC (table of contents) is filled with some great writers I already know, and others who I look forward to reading. The anthology should be out in mid-December, so stay tuned!
What I’m Watching:
We’re coming down to the last days of Noirvember, but we’ve been mixing up what we’re watching. Some highlights for me: Theater Camp, a funny mockumentary about young theater types, and Chameleon Street, a rarely seen dark comedy based on the true story of a Black man who impersonated a doctor and a lawyer numerous times before being caught and arrested. Great stuff.
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Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time.
And thank you of this uplifting post, Victor!