Thanksgiving 2010 - I'm thankful for...

• Extra sharp cheddar cheese
• Extra dry Cabernet Sauvignon
• My wonderful mother, who always has sacrificed for me and is the most caring and nurturing woman I know

• Living in a time when I can travel hundreds of miles in hours
• Being selected to participate in the 2010 FIT vs. Parsons show in March
• My drive to voraciously improve myself in all areas WITHOUT being unhappy in my present state
• Being surrounded by super-creative, hard-working people in the Menswear program

• The fact that at this point in history, anyone can literally learn how to do nearly anything
• My amazing Allen Edmonds shoes and tan crocodile cowboy boots
• Deciding to make a comment to Stu Nizny about his massive belt buckle several years ago and got to know him and buy from his sick collection of vintage clothing multiple times

• Recognizing just how important understanding online culture and business is to the future of the world
• My girlfriend Rachel who, honest to God, in addition to being the sexist woman I've ever seen in my life, has an outlook, funniness and temperament that fills me with joy every time I talk with her

• The fact that all of my female cousins are on great paths for their future
• Finding out about Eben Pagan and learning from his multiple information product businesses
• The fact that I'm not normal and probably considered by a reasonable portion of the population to be a weirdo
• Being able to have developed a friendship with both Amy and Mark from simply listening to each of them speak at UC and following up with them afterwards.  Two awesome people.

• Having a job in clothing retail at a small boutique
• The fact that I mustered up the courage to leave Cincinnati in 2009 to do what I wanted as opposed to staying and "playing it safe"
• Having a great relationship with the guys at Arbitrage, who have given me the opportunity to learn and grow in my knowledge of the business of fashion

• My Macbook Pro is functional now because, despite it being 800 days past the warranty, Apple finally gave the green light for $1,600 worth of repairs at no cost to me restoring it to brand new condition, because there was a defective part.  A customer since middle school and will always be.
• My strong, healthy body

l

• Being able to grow a full beard on my face
• Being able to live in NYC cheeeeeap (by our standards, of course haha) in a clean, modern place with a roommate I get along with well
• The fact that all of my tattoos have exceeded my expectations and I still love them

• Being born in America where we have freedoms some other people can only dream of.

Nearly all of these things would be impossible if I was born in a place like North Korea, Iran, Burma, India or other countries like them.  I can't be so arrogant to believe that America puts out the most innovative and creative businesses, ideas and people because we're in some way genetically superior to the rest of the world.

There are people trapped inside the borders of some countries, who will literally die without even the concept that they can have more abundant, happy lives.  Though China is changing a lot, do you really think in the past few hundred years, there haven't been minds in the billions of people that have lived and died there that weren't on par with OR BETTER than Thomas Edison or Billy Durant or Bill Gates?  

So I am MOST grateful to be in a location on the globe where I can fully realize who I am.