My freshman year of college, I met an aspiring music performer who had made his way all the way from Nigeria to America.

He was struggling to provide for himself in America when I met him. My college dining hall pass came equipped with multiple guest swipes, and I remember taking care of him, and helping him out with a free meal every once in a while. I ate almost every one of my meals at the dining freshmen year because I was living on a low budget. When this man entered my life, it was strange for me, because even in my low income situation, I had the ability to help this man out. The next year, he asked to stay the weekend in my apartment because he had nowhere else to go besides to streets. I brought him into my apartment for the weekend and he was beyond thankful for the hospitality. Often times I lose track of all the great things that I do have. Every night I go to bed knowing I’ll have a bed to sleep in, a shower to clean myself in, and shelter from outside. But even with that luxury, I often think more about what I do not have, rather than what I actually have.

Yesterday night I was watching a most disturbing documentary that surfaces many issues with the oil industry. John Bolenbaugh, a former Enbridge worker, left the oil company to expose an oil spill cover up in the Kalamazoo River (Cunningham 2014). The film goes through to document the remaining oil that was said to be cleaned up in the river, and demonstrates the adverse health effects on the people in the area. Many animals and fish have developed tumors and died because of the tar sand oil. And even people have suffered seizures, migraines, and death because of the toxicity of the oil in the water (Bolenbaugh, 2016). Even in America, people are suffering from lack of access to clean water. We see water issues on the news presented to us occurring in Africa and other under developed countries, but even in America there are issues with water security. Not only was I frightened about the polluted water, but the negligence of the oil company to remedy the situation and the destruction resulting from their negligence.

Frankly it’s easier for me to sit in my apartment wondering about what I do not have, but it’s time we become more cognizant of what we do have. Of course I am thankful for my family and friends. But I’m really thankful to be alive, to have food on the table, to have clean water in my tap, and to have a roof over my head. There are so many people out there that do not have these things that I take for granted. My friend Don Tiago did not have food or a roof over his head, and these people near the Kalamazoo River have a compromised water supply. The simple things in life, the nourishment we need to sustain, are worthy of the highest thanks. It is not a right, or a guarantee, but a privilege to have permanent access to food, shelter, and clean water.

With all the stresses of everyday life, it is easy to forget how much we are truly blessed with. Each day you have a meal to eat, a place to sleep, and water to drink remember to be thankful. We live a very materialistic lifestyle in America especially, and our minds need to grasp on the gravity of what it means to have access to the necessities of life. We do not need the next new phone, the next new computer, or the next new fashion release, these are auxiliary things that in the long run fade away. But we do need to eat, drink, and sleep. New phones always come out, new computers always surface, styles and clothes always change, and this is what we spend our concentration focusing on. As this thanksgiving fades away, I encourage you to reflect and appreciate what you do have. The food that goes about sustaining us each day, the water we expect to flow out of the tap, the elaborate housing structures that we take for granted, these are the essentials to life and should be appreciated. I hope you realize truly what a blessing it is to simply be alive.

Works Cited:

Cunningham, Daren. "Enbridge Whistleblower Claims Cover-Up." Fox17. N.p., 06 May 2014. Web. 27 Nov. 2016. .

#nodapl, Dapllies.com John Bolenbaugh Trailer. Help Me Change This World. Perf. John Bolenbaugh. Youtube, 10 Nov. 2016. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.