Two Words: Thanks. Giving.

Two words: Thanks. Giving. For USA readers, today is a holiday where we’re encouraged to take pause from our daily grind and give thanks for the myriad of wonderful things in our lives. For the international readers, I’d encourage you to join in.

I’ll start with the THANKS portion. I’m thankful for too many things to list here, but most of it can be wrapped into health, family, and community. The first two need no explanation. The third has a wide reach, certainly, but when I say community, a large part of what I mean is that I’m thankful for YOU. The photography, art, design, and popular culture community that exists here, on other blogs, and out there in the world is a wonderful and honorable place to hang our hats. I couldn’t fathom life without it.

Many readers sent thanks my way via email or throughout the hundreds of comments that were posted here this week. Thank you for the thank yous. The huge irony of this is that every thanks I receive from our community is, in my head, trumped one-hundred-fold by my indebtedness to your visits, comments, and links to the content on this site. This blog grows entirely by your will, your recommendations, and your participating in the web 2.0 ethic. We are now many thousands strong and, given your blessing, this once-upon-a-time grassroots forum will continue to thrive and will continue to say yes rather than no; be engaged rather than aloof; active rather than passive; and open rather than closed. I’ve said it in a hundred public forums and I mean it with every bone in my body: a rising tide floats all the boats. Thank you for raising the tide. I’m grateful for the role that you play in this blog and in art and popular culture communities everywhere.

Now the GIVING portion. I’m not shy about reminding people to give something back. It’s our duty as human beings. If you’re looking for a place to give back–via your time, money, energy, or any other resource–here’s a short list of organizations in our community that I give to, and that I know could use your support. Please give what you can:

-The Blue Earth Alliance Photography Inspiring Social Change
-Youth in Focus Empowering Urban Teens via Photography
-The International Red Cross Humanitarian Protection for Victims of War
-KEXP Radio Listener-Powered Radio
-George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film

And remember: Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. – William Arthur Ward

Thank you. And have a great holiday weekend.