Give Thanks

This article is dated November 26, 1998 – Thanksgiving Day here in the States and the start of a four-day weekend – but I wrote it in advance so I wouldn’t have to spend any time working on Thanksgiving Day.

It’s a family day.

Dinner at the in-laws. No shopping (never on Thanksgiving, and rarely on this busiest of all shopping weekends). No church, which is a bit disappointing. Maybe we’ll take in a movie (A Bug’s Life sounds like fun), rent some videos, play board games. Maybe a computer game.

Thanksgiving is a day to take relaxation seriously – and look back with gratitude at the past year.

I’m Thankful for…

  • Bondi iMacSteve Jobs and the iMac. Suddenly, Apple is no longer beleaguered, but the apple of everyone’s eye. Former Mac users are returning to the fold. Some Wintel users are switching. New computer owners consider Apple a real choice.
  • Chiat Day, bunny suits, and The Snail. Finally, someone figured out how to make computer ads informative and fun.
  • MacTimes Network. Just a year ago I moved a tiny little Mac site called Low End Mac (LEM) from personal web space to the MacTimes Network (MTN). LEM and the other MTN sites I run now receive ten times as many hits as they used to. What was a fun little hobby has become a small business. (Thanks, Jason!)
  • Mac managers everywhere. My day job is in Mac information systems. The Mac-Mgrs email list has been helpful every time I ran stuck – and I get to help others who have problems in areas I know.
  • Cyberfriends around the world. I’ve made a lot of friends on Quadlist, the first email list I created for Mac users. And on CRC-Voices, one of the first email lists I joined. And others I’ve met through their websites or participation on various email lists.
  • Linda, my best friend, wife, and lover. She has a great sense of humor. And she tolerates my love for the Mac – and all the time I spend writing, designing pages, and wading through email.
  • Apple Computer. If not for Macs that last just about forever, Low End Mac never would have existed, let alone become successful. And my kids wouldn’t have fun on the SE, LC II, or Centris 610.
  • My sons. They’ve grown up with computers: Commodores, a PC compatible, and a lot of Macs. Although they sometimes complain because I have to use my computer to make money, they understand. And each one hopes to have his very own Mac – if he doesn’t already.
  • Reader feedback. Y’all are the best proofreaders in the world. And you sometimes raise issues or perspectives I missed. Your feedback is an invaluable part of the process.

The list could grow – and probably should – but I’ve got a long weekend to enjoy. I hope you’ll do the same.

Further reading

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