Mayflower Pilgrims, America Thanks You

Because I am so busy finishing my last minute preparations for the big 'Office' season finale party I'm hosting in a little while, I'm reposting tonight. OK, you got me, I'm actually busy with some work I brought home from the office...sorry, that's not even believable enough to bother finishing the thought.

On this day in 1620 (for those of you joining us late, this is a repost from September. I have no idea what the Pilgrims were doing on this actual day in 1620), the Pilgrims left England bound for America. The Pilgrims were persecuted in England for their religious beliefs and were allowed to come to America so that they could practice their religion without being made fun of. It’s a known fact that religious persecutors are not nice people and they are often compared to the neighborhood bully or domineering PTA mothers like the ones in 'Harper Valley PTA.'

In fact, there has long been a rumor that the Smithsonian Museum has physical proof of the persecution that the Mayflower Pilgrims suffered. The museum is said to have the nameplate that the persecutors nailed over the original one on the front of the Mayflower the night before the Mayflower left England. It reads “HMS Ship Of Fools” and was removed by the Pilgrims when they discovered it the morning of their voyage. When the Mayflower set sail a few hours later, the religious bullies all lined up along the dock sarcastically waving goodbye and making fun of the pilgrims’ hats and shoes.

It’s no surprise that the Pilgrims would want to escape that type of treatment. It’s also no surprise that the New World was selected as their destination. That's the whole basis for urban renewal - go with the new and discard the old. There was already a colony at Jamestown (where the Pilgrims were officially headed before being blown off course and ending up in New England) and it was known that America had ample rivers, plenty of space, very few fellow Englishmen to persecute them, a great selection of wildlife, plenty of trees for wood and carving initials, TiVo, Oprah, Wal-Mart and a Starbucks on every corner.

When folks attend the churches of their choice here in America, they should think of the Pilgrims and everything they did to be able to attend a church of their own. Americans should also thank them every time we attend an all you can eat buffet, but I’ll write more about that during Thanksgiving (again if you are late, this reference worked better back in September). In the city I live there are about 5 churches all lined up on one single street. No, it's not named Church Street. Why ever would you ask? Every religion and culture you can think of is represented in those churches and they can all thank the Pilgrims, among a few others, for their right to assemble and worship there.

I know I was thanking the Pilgrims this morning (this was written on a Saturday, I had to work today and was not thanking anyone about that). I was able to get all of my Saturday morning chores done by only visiting church row. I got breakfast at St. Anne’s bake sale, my truck washed at the Lutheran church and a lawnmower to replace my busted one at the Protestant Church. If it gets boring tonight, we’ll probably go play bingo at the non-denominational church across the street. Mr. and Mrs. Pilgrim, you certainly gave us a lot to be thankful for and I tip my buckled hat to you.