Thanksgiving Advice: Please stay home if you’re sick

It’s a careless act to show up sick for a big holiday get together.

People think less about others than the majority of humans like to believe. Like most assumptions in life, the true story is a lot less heartwarming. Many put their own needs ahead of others, even if it was costly to someone’s health. This has never been more on display than during the holidays.

Since it’s an awful thing to miss a holiday well known for sitting around eating and watching football, people take their sick kids to a place knowing full well that it could get 1-2 people sick. Or, they take their own sick soul. When the nice thing to do would be to stay home and watch movies and not have to face the annual family full court press questionnaire, they trudge out with a kid carrying a nostril and a half stuffed with snot. Right off the bat, you know it’s going to be bad. A cold is coming to your immune system like racers hurtling themselves towards a flag.

Last year at Thanksgiving, I got very sick. This was the worst batch of stomach/head flu in at least ten years. I’m talking down for the count, prepare to eat couch for 100 hours kind of bad. A family member brought their sick kid to the dinner, and carried in something themselves as well. They all mean well, but it’s still a careless act in the end. We’re all human, after all.

Don’t be that person this week. Don’t be the person who NEEDS to be there so bad, it’s worth getting someone sick. The food won’t be that good. The laughs won’t be any louder than next year. The fun that you would have experienced can be forgotten in a matter of days. It’s not that big of a deal. The bigger deal is staying home.

They’ll tell you that someone is sick in their party, but it’s not that bad. Suddenly, they became a doctor! They don’t know shit, only that more medicine and a big blanket was a better idea than stuffing four doses down their throat before drinking alcohol at the ensuing dinner. Whenever you think humans won’t do something stupid, rethink the notion and remember history.

Here’s another thing, NFL fans. Watching the game at home means you can have the television as loud as ever, and there will be no kid interruptions or a family member asking you to turn down the television from an already low level. All the while, a plate of food is heading your way. If not, eat turkey the next day and the world will move on. For the ones who just want to be a part of the action, they invented this thing called FaceTime years back. Cough your heart out, and experience the drama from many miles away.

Imagine someone willingly attending just to have turkey again. And I get the idea that being with family and hanging out is the main goal. It sounds good, and would easily sell newspapers. Unless the world is ending Friday, next time will share all the warmth and loveliness as a holiday. Maybe there will be pizza for that meal.

Tomorrow, we’re hosting Thanksgiving. All I can hope is that everyone attending doesn’t bring a stomach flu that knocks me to the canvas, costing me three days work and making me hate food for a week. I love food, so that would be a tragedy.

This Thanksgiving, be thankful. More importantly, be considerate.