On the Long Ride Home

By Steve Carr

This is the time of the year when many of us consider all for which we’re grateful. There is of course the usual list, including shelter, food, work, health (which in my case could be better, but I’m still breathing, for which I’m happy).

I recently returned from a Red Cross trip to Geneva, where I worked with friends and colleagues from 189 different nations. We toiled in a multitude of languages on a multitude of issues for a multitude of hours each day. In the end, despite the politics and personal agendas, I believe we made a collective difference. This annual international meeting often falls during Thanksgiving, which means I’ve missed a handful of family gatherings for our uniquely American holiday. Aware of this, my friends in Geneva often have taken pity on me. We’ve shared turkey-less meals and once they even cobbled together something that sort of resembled pumpkin pie. It wasn’t the same, but the effort was appreciated.