Be thankful for many things as Thanksgiving approaches

In a few days, we will celebrate Thanksgiving, a treasured national holiday rooted in tradition. But what exactly is that tradition? What is the real origin of Thanksgiving?

I did some research, and according to plenty of kid-centric Web sites, the pilgrims traveled aboard the Mayflower - some were actually suspended from the sails - and crashed into Plymouth Rock on Dec. 21, 1620. Then, the kids maintain, they began to die.

Eventually, an English-speaking Native American named Squanto, from the Wampanoag nation, approached the starving pilgrims and offered to teach them how to survive in the New World.

He educated them about poisonous plants, taught them to build houses and showed them how to use fish as fertilizer. According to the kids, they gave him a pumpkin in return.

The next harvest was a bountiful one, full of enormous amounts of corn. Yum!

The pilgrims decided to throw a feast of gratitude for their good fortune, and they sent invitations to the Native Americans. The Native Americans brought deer and lobster meat and fish to the feast. The Pilgrims brought corn and smallpox. The feast lasted for three days, even though the turkeys were the size of children's hands.

Contemporary Thanksgiving shares a similar meaning. It is a time to reflect on the many blessings that have been bestowed on us. I would like to share with you roughly 500 words' worth of mine.

I am thankful for flush-free urinals, automatic-flush toilets and motion-activated paper towel dispensers.

I am thankful that even if we don't agree with them, our officials were elected by a majority of the adults in this country.

I am thankful for extra-strength medicines, fast acting anti-itch creams and West Nile Virus-deterring bug sprays.

I am thankful for gravity, for keeping the world from spinning apart like an unbolted carousel, and friction, for making objects stationary and sex possible.

I am thankful for "Laguna Beach" - the show, not the piece of land. Although, without the land, the show would not be possible. So, Laguna Beach. And the character of Kristin.

I am thankful that there are people who are willing to dedicate their lives to the service of our country, whether it is in the military or a nonprofit soup kitchen.

I am thankful that, if I want, I can get a hamburger at 2 a.m., pizza at 3 a.m. and beer 24 hours a day.

I am thankful for the fabulous faculty that UNC employs. They have sacrificed a portion of their own material gain to help us advance, and we probably owe them more than we could ever give.

I am thankful that I have eyes to see the change of seasons, ears to hear the subtle melodies of human speech and hands to give an awkward fist-pound to my friends.

I am thankful for the clever comedic stylings of Demetri Martin, Mitch Hedberg and their precursor, Steven Wright.

I am thankful that the R.B. House Undergraduate Library offers free printing, even though the printers rarely work - and if they do, they are usually clogged because biology students are printing "Detailed Diagrams of Every Cell in Your Body: Vol. 1."

I am thankful for the patience and kindness of the pretty woman who offered to help me last week when I got a flat tire, and the good humor of the man walking along the side of the road who asked the woman to help him.

I am thankful for the ease, accessibility and freedom of the Internet and the incredible response rate of Google.

I am thankful that the Red Sox finally won the World Series.

I am thankful for the comfort, convenience and ease of cars. I have ridden a horse before, and holding a drink was nearly impossible.

I am thankful for contact lenses, electric toothbrushes and postage stamps that you don't have to lick. They are, in my opinion, three of the greatest inventions ever, and I can't imagine what life was like without them.

I am thankful for books by Don DeLillo, movies by Wes Anderson and music by Guster.

I am thankful for the consistently sharp writing of "The Daily Show" and the all-around likability of John Stewart.

I am thankful for my brothers, who provide me with high-quality entertainment; my friends, who tolerate my anal cleanliness; and my parents, who love and support me unconditionally.

Finally, I am thankful that I have been privileged enough to be in a position where I can effect a positive change in people's lives, and that I am surrounded by talented individuals trying to do the same.

Contact Jonathan Yeomans

at yeomans@email.unc.edu.