As we celebrate Thanksgiving, I am reminded of the many blessings for which I am thankful. There are too many to list all of them, but here are a few.

I’m thankful for the days when I do not see anyone run a red light or stop sign, cut someone off in traffic or act like there is no one else on the road besides them. I am doubly thankful when I see someone use a turn signal or allow someone to merge into their lane. Wowzer!

I am thankful when an elected official doesn’t post nasty and childish comments on their social media accounts and acts with some civility. I would be really, really thankful to see them come up with reasonable solutions to make things better for the public, too.

I am thankful for politicians whose moral compass is constant and the ones who stand up against the “wrongdoing,” no matter who is doing it. I am beyond thankful, and almost giddy, when common decency and principle-based decision-making override political partisanship.

I am especially thankful when elected officials don’t ignore public inquiries and respond in a timely manner.  A double blessing goes to the ones who answer the questions fully and honestly so we don’t have to file Public Record Act requests.

I am thankful for printed newspapers, especially the Sunday editions. There is something very comforting in reading the news without having to use electricity or a battery to make the words visible. It makes Sunday special and relaxing because there are more sections in the paper and longer stories to read.

I am thankful for the journalists who write the news stories that keep us informed about what’s going on in the community. There are many things I would never have known were it not for their reporting. It makes a difference just so they know.

I am thankful for the few remaining mailboxes at our local post offices. I can’t figure out why so many of them have been removed.

I am thankful for comedians who help keep us sane and give us some hope when things look bleak and unfunny. As attributed to Mark Twain, “Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.”

I am thankful for people who don’t think the planet is their personal garbage dump and clean up after themselves. The amount of money saved by not having to clean up after the litterbugs could probably pay for some cool community stuff.

I am thankful for the people who work in grocery stores and don’t act like we are inconveniencing them if we don’t use the self-checkout when we have a big bunch of items, especially produce. I have watched the best of grocery clerks scan the items, and even they have trouble figuring out the produce prices, so what chance do we have of getting it right?

And speaking of produce, during the recent rainstorm, I noticed something floating in our  swimming pool. I didn’t know what it was at first, but as I got closer I saw that it was a piece of broccoli with a little moth sitting on top of it. I fished the broccoli out of the pool and the moth was able to dry off and fly away.

I was thankful the little moth had been saved by the floating broccoli and that I got to see a piece of broccoli being used in a way I have never seen before. It made me laugh a lot and reminded me once again of how thankful I am that I have family and friends who also think it’s funny when I tell them stories about the moth-saving, floating broccoli.

Frye is a former San Diego City Council member who lives in Clairemont.