I don’t think this will come as a surprise to anyone, what with all of the advertising on TV and online for day-after-Thanksgiving sales, but Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. In the spirit of the holiday, let me tell you a little about the things I’m thankful for.

I’m thankful that Marion will again have a hardware store. There were a couple of false starts along the way since the previous hardware store closed, but it looks like Marion will have a steady new business in town, backed up by decades of experience. There have been plenty of times that I’ve wished there was a hardware store in Marion so I wouldn’t have to go out of town, and I’m not very handy. I can hardly imagine how many trips people who know what they’re doing with tools have had to make.

I’m thankful for the seven members of the general public who attended County Commissioner Dan Holub’s town hall meeting Saturday night at the county lake. They gave up about two hours of their time on a Saturday night to stay informed about issues affecting the county. We could use more people like that.

On a related note, I’m thankful for all of the volunteers who make ambulance and fire service in Marion County work. Their efforts over the years have held off the need for expensive full-time ambulance and fire departments. With all of the increasing certification requirements, though, I’m not sure how much longer volunteer forces will be able to get the job done.

I’m thankful when people take an interest in what I do, as one interview subject did this weekend. She asked what I like most about my job — the answer is getting out, talking to people, and hearing them tell their stories. There are a lot of other things I like about my job, though. I work with a great bunch of people who try to take care of one another. I get to be out and about, and no two days are exactly alike.

On a personal note, I’m thankful for my family. I don’t get to see them all as much as I would like, but I’m blessed to have a wonderful niece and three nephews, along with my parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins, all of whom I love dearly.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

— ADAM STEWART