History lesson

The theme for this week’s ‘Remember the Time’ Blog Hop is: Thanksgiving

I should have known. When I clicked on The Waiting‘s Thursday post to see what this week’s Blog Hop theme was going to be, I realised that I should have known. What else were they likely to choose today?

The celebration called Thanksgiving is particular to America. Guys, how am I, an Irish person living in England, supposed to have memories of Thanksgiving? Plus, the post I rustled up earlier today has already used this idea, albeit in a different way that doesn’t ‘remember the time’.

But hey, I am the writer, yes? I can interpret this prompt any way I choose. So, doing what we want is going to be the driver for this post.

What do I remember when I trawl through my memories for links to Thanksgiving? I guess it has got to be Wednesday Addams.

You see my American friends, when I think of Thanksgiving, I think not of the Pilgrims graciously inviting Pocahontas to join them and share their sumptuous banquet, but of Wednesday Addams. I admit she is a sort of heroine of mine.

Despite having been a cute, blond, chubby little child (see below), I have never felt the need to try to retain my blond hair (my hair is now light brown). I have rarely been attracted to those with sunny, blond hair, particularly when it comes out of a bottle. I guess I associated blond with bimbo more than having fun. Now, who have I insulted with that revelation?

I have a fair few family members and friends who may well feel a tad put out by such a blunt statement. To them I say, your hair, your choice; do what you want! I just never fancied it for myself.

(Well, except for that one summer when I experimented with a product called Sun-In, which turned my head a strange shade of yellow and taught me a valuable lesson about pesky roots, but I digress.)

Dark haired Wednesday Addams was sassy, honest and original. Not for her the need to conform to society’s idea of beauty. Perhaps this is why I am more attracted to Loki than Thor. I like the bad child with reasons more than the supposedly handsome goody two shoes. I like it when people do what they want rather than what society expects.

I loved the way that Wednesday silenced the silly, little, blond screamer

And how much fun she and her cohorts had with this patronising pair (although please don’t try this at home, kids).

Back in the day, I was taught by this film that Thanksgiving was an American celebration of oppression, but that we didn’t have to accept such behaviour today. We could learn from history. I took home the message that those in control would always expect compliance, but it was our choice whether or not to live by their rules.

Of course, there was always the subsequent punishment to consider.

I think being made to watch hours and hours of sickly, sweet Disney films with patronising, moralistic happy endings would have broken me too.

Unless, of course, the Disney film in question happened to feature my favourite god.

We can all be thankful for a little bit of mischief and magic in our lives from time to time.

To read the other posts in this Blog Hop, click on the link below.

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