The whole Thanksgiving script is a huge turn-off for me. Shouldn't having this holiday be about doing things that bring you joy and gratitude for your life?  There is no joy for me in an overblown banquet of bland meat-centric American food. I don't eat that way the rest of the year, why should I celebrate with it?

I didn't have the polite truth, or even a convenient lie, at the tip of my tongue when a neighbor invited me to join their celebration this year. I'm so dreading it. I guess I'll pepper my vegetables gently, try not to look at the meat, and be grateful when the ordeal is over. Then I'll go home and celebrate in my cosy studio. And for that I am genuinely thankful.