There are a number of facts surrounding the “Thanksgiving Holiday” that are misunderstood. The first and most common relates to when the Pilgrim's first celebrated “Thanksgiving”. It wasn’t upon their arrival on December 11, 1620 that Thanksgiving was first celebrated as is generally thought but actually the next year after the first harvest. The first winter was devastating to the Pilgrims and by the end of the next fall they had lost 46 out of the 102 who sailed on the Mayflower to the New World. The Indians in the region were credited for helping the new settlers survive the harsh conditions that first winter and joined them in the celebrations the next harvest on the day we now call Thanksgiving.
The second most common misconception is that the Pilgrims established the first settlement in the New World. There were many other settlements that pre-dated the arrival of the Mayflower. One of the most famous occurred 13 years prior when a group of entrepreneurs and settlers sailed from London and landed in Jamestown, Virginia on May 14, 1607 and established the colony now known as Jamestown (of John Smith and Pocahontas fame). As were the circumstances in the early days, the elements had a harsh hand to play in their story. By 1609, only 60 of the original 214 settlers survived.
Part of America's story is about braving the unknown and following one’s dreams. Many who come to the "Land of Opportunity" do so in search of an ideal – generally for the betterment of one’s standing in life. It may be to pursue religious freedom like the Pilgrims or to pursue a business venture, as was the charter for the settlers of Jamestown. Today, the reasons for coming to the America are varied but remain true to the spirit of the early settlers. It could be to pursue a world-class education or simply to see Disneyland and for that matter anything in between. No other country on earth has such a magnetic hold on the imagination.
Experiencing what amounts to some of the deepest and darkest crevices of my life, I still have many things to be grateful for. Even at my lowest, I am comforted by the knowledge that I live in the greatest country ever conceived by man. I brave the future knowing that my experiences are transitive and after the proverbial winter, I will emerge even better, stronger and wiser.
I am a first generation immigrant. My Plymouth Rock is a city called Laguna Niguel where I awoke the next morning after arriving in 1981. A month later I left America and didn’t return until 1983. About 4 years ago, I wrote about my experiences as an immigrant relying solely on my memory of that trip some 27 years ago. The mind is a fickle creature and may have been selective in remembering details clouded by the passage of time. Nevertheless, certain feelings remain to this day and have been the source of some of my wildest dreams and aspirations. I haven’t revised it since I last wrote it as I felt it captured the feelings when I first penned the essay some 4 years ago.
MY PLYMOUTH ROCK
Happy Thanksgiving everyone …
The second most common misconception is that the Pilgrims established the first settlement in the New World. There were many other settlements that pre-dated the arrival of the Mayflower. One of the most famous occurred 13 years prior when a group of entrepreneurs and settlers sailed from London and landed in Jamestown, Virginia on May 14, 1607 and established the colony now known as Jamestown (of John Smith and Pocahontas fame). As were the circumstances in the early days, the elements had a harsh hand to play in their story. By 1609, only 60 of the original 214 settlers survived.
Part of America's story is about braving the unknown and following one’s dreams. Many who come to the "Land of Opportunity" do so in search of an ideal – generally for the betterment of one’s standing in life. It may be to pursue religious freedom like the Pilgrims or to pursue a business venture, as was the charter for the settlers of Jamestown. Today, the reasons for coming to the America are varied but remain true to the spirit of the early settlers. It could be to pursue a world-class education or simply to see Disneyland and for that matter anything in between. No other country on earth has such a magnetic hold on the imagination.
Experiencing what amounts to some of the deepest and darkest crevices of my life, I still have many things to be grateful for. Even at my lowest, I am comforted by the knowledge that I live in the greatest country ever conceived by man. I brave the future knowing that my experiences are transitive and after the proverbial winter, I will emerge even better, stronger and wiser.
I am a first generation immigrant. My Plymouth Rock is a city called Laguna Niguel where I awoke the next morning after arriving in 1981. A month later I left America and didn’t return until 1983. About 4 years ago, I wrote about my experiences as an immigrant relying solely on my memory of that trip some 27 years ago. The mind is a fickle creature and may have been selective in remembering details clouded by the passage of time. Nevertheless, certain feelings remain to this day and have been the source of some of my wildest dreams and aspirations. I haven’t revised it since I last wrote it as I felt it captured the feelings when I first penned the essay some 4 years ago.
MY PLYMOUTH ROCK
Happy Thanksgiving everyone …
