Essays from West of 98: Reasons to be Thankful
The late, great Elmer Kelton is one of my favorite authors of fiction. Kelton had a unique ability to write realistic stories with characters who were eminently relatable. Kelton has an underrated novel called “Honor at Daybreak” about the 1920s oil boomtowns of West Texas. In that book, a young, restless cowboy is lamenting the failings of the community in which he lived. An older, wiser character counsels him that West Texas is a good country “if you appreciate it for what it is, rather than waste it wishing that it was something else. “
Author’s caveat, in case someone fact checks that quote: I’m 90% sure that conversation comes from “Honor at Daybreak,” but I’ve read enough Kelton novels that they sometimes overlap in my brain.
There are many bits of wisdom in the world that share similar sentiments, but that one has always stuck with me, in part because it was directly aimed at appreciating West Texas despite its flaws.
Which brings me to Thanksgiving. In our personal life, our professional life, or our communities, it is easy to long for what we want, need, or do not have. It is human nature. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Humans striving to better themselves is the source of all progress dating back to the discovery of fire and the wheel. We can and should look to improve life for ourselves and those who are impacted by our decisions.
I find it extremely important to work on improvement while also appreciating the progress you have made along the way. I can look around Stamford and it is easy to see all the needs. We need millions of dollars in upgrades to our water and sewer system. We need to repave essentially every street in town. We need to upgrade our parks. We need more jobs. The list goes on. Frankly, it can become overwhelming if you let it.
A few weeks ago, a friend sent me a text. This friend shall remain nameless, but they did authorize me to share this. This friend wrote: “it just occurred to me…in a few months, we will have conveniences of a big town with small town atmosphere: Chinese food, movie theatre, a place to get nails done, a cool coffee shop, and online grocery pickup…we can do all of that right here and not have to leave!”
My friend did not know how encouraging that text was. It was a reminder that even as we still have much work left to done, we already have some really cool amenities in town and more good things on the way. A few years ago, I shared in this space an excerpt from President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Thanksgiving proclamation, which set the stage for our national holiday. Lincoln asked our citizens to give thanks to the Most High Good, writing “it has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People.”
The full proclamation can be found here. This proclamation was issued only a few weeks after the Gettysburg Address, at the height of the bloodiest war this nation has ever known. Despite that, and despite the emotional toll of presiding over such a dark time in American history, in which he was wracked by guilt, pain, and sadness, Lincoln was still thankful.
On this Thanksgiving, our communities have many needs and many challenges. There is much work to be done, but let’s remember the words of Elmer Kelton and appreciate our communities for what they are. Like my friend, let us take an inventory of what we *DO* have and what is on the way. You might be pleasantly surprised! Let us channel the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln and be thankful, despite the challenges, for what we have now and what good things are yet to come. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
James Decker is the Mayor of Stamford, Texas and the creator of the West of 98 website and podcast. Contact James and subscribe to these essays at westof98.substack.com and subscribe to West of 98 wherever podcasts are found.