For Release Wednesday, November 27, 2019
 
Capitol View
Commentary by J.L. Schmidt
Statehouse Correspondent
Nebraska Press Association
Try Daily Gratitude in These Troubled Times

      HereÕs a column inspiration shout out to Lincoln Journal Star sportswriter Steven M. Sipple who discussed gratitude in a recent column about Nebraska Husker Head Football Coach Scott Frost.
      ÒGratitude is a beautiful quality. It requires minimal effort, costs nothing and can elicit a smile at any moment,Ó he wrote. ÒYeah, itÕs also powerful. If we would all remind ourselves to be grateful for something each day, the world would be a better place.Ó
      Hear! Hear! I sense that Sipple has grown weary of the Ònattering nabobs of negativismÓ Ð thank you Spiro Agnew -- who are complaining that the second-year coach hasnÕt fielded a football team ready for the National Championship. No, he hasnÕt, but he inherited a mess. We should be grateful heÕs in charge.
      In case youÕve missed it as we head toward Thanksgiving 2019, this country is going through partisan-charged troubled times in Washington DC Ð what with the impeachment trial and all Ð and the world scene isnÕt much better with trouble in all the familiar old places. Perhaps a little gratitude from each of us every day is a great way to start a change movement.
      So, those of you at home, play along. Stop your complaining and think of one thing for which you can be grateful. If youÕre reading this column or listening to someone read it to you, thereÕs two things for starters, eyes and ears. DonÕt take them for granted, be grateful for them.
      If you woke up this morning, be grateful. A lot of people, perhaps someone you know, didnÕt wake up. I lost another high school classmate recently. He was somebody I first met in kindergarten. CanÕt tell you the last time I saw him, but I knew him and am grateful for that.
For Release Wednesday, November 27, 2019 Ð Page 2 

      If you have family, a neighbor or a good friend coming to break bread with you tomorrow, be grateful. Many people will be hungry and alone. If you know someone in that dire spot, reach out to them. You will gain a deeper respect for gratitude and your fellow human being. 
      If you are reasonably healthy, be grateful. Believe me, there are a number of people struggling with everything from cancer to heart disease and a whole menu of health difficulties in between. Look at your friends. Many of them may be quietly struggling with ailments they donÕt discuss but which are still very real. Perhaps the warranty is slowly expiring on some of their working parts (hips, knees, eyes, ears, backs).
      Be grateful for the warm days of November that have allowed you to put up your outdoor Christmas decorations. Be grateful that the electricity will still be available after Thanksgiving so that you can plug them in to brighten your entire neighborhood. Who knows, someone on your block is probably grateful that you still decorate outside. Remember, someone else will likely be grateful that you unplug them as soon after New YearÕs Day as you can. 
      If this discussion has enlightened you about or enabled you to practice gratitude, thank the First Amendment that has allowed this newspaper the freedom to print it. Likewise, if youÕd rather be more like Ebenezer Scrooge and grump about it, thank the First Amendment anyway because it gives you the right to just be that way!
      Happy Thanksgiving. Be grateful.

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J.L. Schmidt has been covering Nebraska government and politics since 1979. He has been a registered Independent for 20 years.