There are givers and there are takers in this world. Thanksgiving is this month, the day families joyously gather to give thanks for a bountiful meal and the pleasure of being family.

I come from a long line of givers and nurturers, and I am thankful that I was taught to nurture. I witnessed members of my family and extended family give beyond their means to help others.

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t think of something good about my relationship with my mother. As far as she was concerned, there was no such thing as having a prayer time without kneeling in reverence to God.

When I finished school and left home for my first job, I shared a bedroom with a friend of mine. I had never thought about the position I would be in as I said my daily prayers. I recall that I knew he was praying but he always would lie in his bed. Never once do I remember seeing him kneel just before the lights went out.

War is an open and declared armed hostile conflict between states, nations or individuals. It has an ultimate objective of vast physical destruction, an alteration of relationships, many deaths, demands of reparation, etc.

War is costly. But victorious nations might seem inclined to assist in rebuilding defeated foes. Yesteryear U.S. conflicts boosted economic output and growth. Latest U.S. war ventures do not move in these economic directions. Most of the conflicts appear to be without economic benefits when measured against other wars. However, national security is better.

By WES MURPHY

I shot my first deer way back in 1974, when I was 14. In the 35 years since then, I have probably shot another 60 or so deer, but not the first one was big enough to even think about putting on the wall.

I realized a long time ago that I was unlikely to ever kill a big buck because I don’t put in the time and effort needed to do so. Almost every member of my family that deer hunts has at least one nice deer on their living room or bedroom wall. Most of them have several. My 17-year-old son has killed three bucks that are bigger than anything I ever shot at, much less killed.

By DR. JOHN RHENEY

The only thing that has really changed in hunting over a million years is the technology. We’ve seen more on this type of change in the last two decades than in the last 100 years. Firearms are basically the same as they were in 1909. I guess the first time I realized what was in store for us and the evolution of hunting was when dog clubs first started using CB radios in the 1970s.

I was watching a show on the Outdoor Channel the other day and noted hunter Jim Shockey said that in his opinion the greatest advancement in hunting was the invention of the trail camera. We have come a long way. Twenty years ago I bought a few trail timers that were just basically sewing thread attached to cheap little battery-powered clocks. You pulled the thread across a trail and anchored it to a tree. When an animal of appropriate size came through and pulled the thread, it cut the clock off and gave you a time. Of course you had no idea what kind of animal tripped the clock or even if it was an animal.

We all have read and advised about the importance of positive thinking. You know there are those who believe strongly in the value of positive thinking and see nothing to be gained from that which is negative.

Well, I respectfully disagree. I believe it is balance between the positive and the negative that provides benefit. For example, if you try to jump start a car using jumper cable and place the cable on the positive pole of a car battery, nothing happens; even if you dip it in water, there would be no danger. Then take off the positive and put it on the negative pole, still there won’t be electricity. But what happens when you hook up both positive and negative poles? You get electrocuted. It will curl your hair, if you have any left. Understanding the interaction between these two forces is especially useful for raising children.

Ever find yourself in your car in line at a fast food restaurant — not in any particular hurry, no place you’ve gotta be, but filled with agitation and frustration because the guy ahead of you is taking an age to order? How about driving down the highway — still in no hurry — and the driver ahead is going way too slow to suit you?

Well, I have and I’m generally a pretty peaceful fellow. I’ve found myself sitting there fuming and suddenly awakened to how ridiculous it is, and voiced my self-reproach: “Now, what the heck is wrong with you, getting high blood pressure over nothing! Calm down you idiot!”

I’ve noticed recently that my dog and I have a unique relationship, which is as close to perfection as you can get. When Casey and I are together, I feel warm and fuzzy and totally loving.

Did I inadvertently hit on a new method for people to manage their interpersonal relationships? Don’t tell Dr. Phil, but I’m currently performing trials to discover what magic component makes Casey and I so compatible.

Two weekends ago, I went to Homecoming at my alma mater, the University of South Carolina. My nephew Chase Mizzell and I rode up early for the S.C. Honors College Homecoming brunch for the second consecutive year. Chase is a senior and student body president at Fort Dorchester High School, and his scholastic record has opened many college doors. I, however, want him to attend USC, just as a good number of family members have done.

Chase has been tailgating and attending games with our family since he was born. When it comes to a family of dedicated tailgaters, the Mizzell-Metts crew can serve up a feast that everyone enjoys.

WASHINGTON — It’s been a year since a healthy majority of American voters elected Barack Obama to change the world. Which is precisely what he’s doing.

Like many people who desperately want to see the country take a more progressive course, I quibble and quarrel with some of President Obama’s actions. I wish he’d been tougher on Wall Street, quicker to close Guantanamo, more willing to investigate Bush-era excesses, bolder in seeking truly universal health care. I wish he could summon more of the rhetorical magic that spoke so compellingly to the better angels of our nature.