10 Little Things I’m Thankful For

It’s Thanksgiving. So let’s be thankful.

Later in this issue, we’ll talk about the big things to be grateful for. But let’s start with some little things. These are 10 of mine:

1. Padron Aniversarios — simply the best cigar in the world. I prefer the naturals, which are medium-bodied. They have a superb taste. They draw perfectly. They are balanced from light puff to nub.

2. The New York Times Crossword Puzzle. Monday’s are for morons. Tuesday’s are for twits. From Wednesday to Friday, they are lots of fun. Saturdays are deadly. And Sunday’s are best on the front porch, looking out at the ocean, puffing on a Padron.

3. Bocce Ball on Saturday afternoon. Six friends. Six years. Trash talking. Competition and, yes, cigars.

4. Golf, my new hobby/addiction. What is it about swinging the driver? It begins as a graceful, athletic movement and ends up as a sort of demonic exorcism.

5. Graciella’s coffee in the morning.

6. Everything I’ve gotten rid of this year. Countless shirts and ties and pants dating back to the 1970s. Books so bad I couldn’t get past the first five pages. Exercise equipment bought on impulse but never used (including a pair of platform sneakers that promised to increase the size of my calves).

7. That I am in the same “weight class” as K. The weight class I’m referring to is the 100-to-200-pound class. Admittedly, I weigh 198 and she weighs 116. But, as I remind her, “We are in the same ballpark.”

8. That, after 59 years, I still have hair where I want it… on top of my head and not coming out of my ears.

9. The fun I have when phone salesmen call me. (“I don’t believe in cable television. It is the creation of the devil. Are you the devil’s emissary?” Silence. “Answer me!” Click.)

10. Did I mention cigars?

[Ed. Note: Mark Morgan Ford was the creator of Early To Rise. In 2011, Mark retired from ETR and now writes the Palm Beach Letter. His advice, in our opinion, continues to get better and better with every essay, particularly in the controversial ones we have shared today. We encourage you to read everything you can that has been written by Mark.]