Futura Past

Blood Bank

The myth of the first Thanksgiving is as much about being alone as it is being together. At the crest of winter, immigrants and natives joined together for a feast of celebration: But what makes the story endure is that neither party was entirely comfortable with their situation. There was an anxiety of being alone.

The Europeans were alone in a foreign land, trying to cobble together a new life, aware that the world around them could consume their existence at any point, but with a faith that they could survive.

Natives were wary of these uninvited guests, scouting the immigrants’ efforts and apprehensive of an attack at any time.

You know the story, just as the natives believed that war had come upon them, they discovered the immigrants were celebrating the harvest. And instead of carrying battle, they brought deer and wild fowl.

To get to the spirit of this new American harvest celebration, that union—which, yes, was ultimately betrayed—is important to remember. Thanksgiving is about rejoicing in our survival, not just within our own knits of family but as humans. As alone as we feel at times, there are always fellow men around us whose company we can accept. And as secure as we might feel at other times, there are people who are strangers to our communities who we can give warmth to.

And yeah, it’s a cliche, but we all share the same blood. As long as our species carries on, we are never alone.

Hope everyone had a tremendous Thanksgiving filled with warmth and reveling.

“Blood Bank” is part of a series combining rock lyrics with public domain images. Words in the image above by Bon Iver, painting by Jean Louis Gerome Ferris.