Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Reasons to be Grateful

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It's that time of year again when we pause to reflect on all that we have and are grateful for. As a science fiction writer, I'm grateful that my books are still commercially viable after nine novels and that I'm able to make a living writing exactly what I want to write. As a reader, I'm grateful that there are so many great writers working both in and out of genre today.

I was thinking of making a science-fiction list of things to be grateful for -- all the foreign language SF being published in translation, Ursula K. Le Guin's fiction making it into the Library of America, and so on and on... but on reflection, I think I'll spare you that.

Instead, I'll simply note that I'm grateful for family and friends and health and material comfort. But most of all for life. Some time ago, I was in Russia, listening to a friend run down a series of misfortunes that had befallen him of late. But then, abruptly, he stopped and said, "But we are alive -- and this is good!"

True words, and I'm grateful for them as well.


Above: Our Thanksgiving turkey in the brining tub.

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1 comment:

Sandy said...

Well said! I'm thankful for good friends, good talk, good progress in downsizing and finding acceptable contractors to do house repair, and for finally finishing at least one novel after all these years. Now for a publisher... or at least, a sequel while I'm waiting..