Once again (and all too quickly,) it's that time of year - the holidays. A time for family and gifts and parties and shopping and running and rushing. Before all of that madness begins, we're reflecting on why, in this crazy economy, we are still so thankful.
While many are without jobs and the holiday season is the furthest thing on their minds, we are so thankful for the following:
Letterboxing - for all that it has done for us. Letterboxes allow you to visit anywhere in the country or the world and find the most unusual places that include a box or two. This hobby has taken me from the computer and the TV (although I still find time for both!) and given us the opportunity to "Just Get Out There & Box!!!"
Friends - all of those special people we've met along the way in our letterboxing career. Some have become very close, family-like friends. Interesting story - our youngest son, Steve, is getting married in July of next year. When we sat down and made our guest list of those people Sue & I wanted to attend the wedding, we were surprised at the number of our really close friends who originally came from the boxing community.
The Outdoors - boxing has given us a profound appreciation and realization of the beauty around us in this country. As Sue & I have traveled, we marvel at amazing sights like a whale breaching off of the Oregon coast, the fantastic rocky Maine coast, the majesty of Stone Mountain in Georgia, the green mountain ranges of Vermont and the stark beauty of a Florida swamp and especially the patchwork landscape of Dartmoor National Park in the UK. All containing boxes and probably all places we would not have known had it not been for letterboxing. We've also learned to be good stewards of the land and protect these irreplaceable and valuable resources.
Endless Creativity - just when we think we've seen it all, someone else comes up with another way to clue or hide a box. You Tube, hidden as links on web pages, emailed WOM's, snail mail teasers. It never ends and helps keep letterboxing fresh and new for Sue & I who have been boxing since June of 2002. The carving ability (and improving abilitites of many) continues to amaze us. Great new carvers are popping up all over the place where years ago there was just a handful of really good carvers. One of the up sides of the growth that this hobby has experienced has been the increase of creative and talented carvers and planters.
Boxing Websites - those clue repositories such as Letterboxing North America and Atlas Quest are invaluable! Sure, there are parts of both sites that we'd love to change (or eliminate) but all-in-all, they co-exist and offer much in the way of learning about and finding letterboxing clues. Just trying to keep up our little blog here brings a further appreciation for the time both Choi (and the other webmasters at LBNA) and Ryan at AQ spend to keep us continually coming back for more! We applaud them for their efforts!
Planters - without you guys, there would be nothing for which to search! We appreciate those special little hidden gems in places that you choose to take us. The more we plant, the more we appreciate the thought process, time and money expended to plant just one letterbox. We look at a box as a contribution to the boxing community and Sue & I are thankful for all of the contributions all of the planters around the world have made. That thrill is still there after following a clue to finally find that hidden box. You never know if it will be there and to find it is still a thrill.
So - putting aside the depressing news of the day with record unemployment, a bad economy, the health care debate et al, it's great to escape into the wonderful world of letterboxing. Now more than ever!
And for that, Sue & I are the most thankful!
Have a great Thanksgiving and Holiday Season to all of you from the two of us!
