From the week of Thanksgiving to the week leading up to Christmas Day is without a doubt my favorite time of year.
    Not even because of what Thanksgiving or Christmas actually stands for (I detest Black Friday and everything it stands for), but because people come together and celebrate just that — being together.
    It’s a time of reunion. A time for old friends and family to reunite and catch up. Or even for some people who have nowhere else to go, to be at home — uninterrupted — with any loved ones, friends or family included.
    The weather gets colder, giving us an excuse to bundle up on the couch or even take brisk walk to work off your gorgings of the previous lunch or dinner. And the food is awesome. So, incredibly awesome — and makes for a great change of pace from my crockpot concoctions I suffer through week-in and week-out as a millennial adult in 2016.
    At least for someone like my wife and I — who are very isolated from our friends and family back in Greenville, S.C. — the couple of days we get to go home are very special to us, and I hope they are to you too.
    However, even as I say that — there are some pitfalls to going home, especially in 2016.
    Because let’s be honest, 2016 has gone down — culturally at least — as one of the worst years in American history.
    We lost numerous celebrities and influential figures: Muhammad Ali, Prince, David Bowie, Arnold Palmer, Alan Rickman amongst a list of many. While there are some controversial figures on that long, unfortunate list — it’s still a safe topic of conversation at the Thanksgiving table.
    And we can be thankful for those of us who still have our own lives or didn’t lose a loved one in 2016. And for even of us who did, if that person was suffering we can take solace they are suffering no more.
    For many, including us here in southeast Georgia — we experienced a pretty jarring natural disaster. A lot of people lost homes, cars or at the very least experienced property damage. For those of us who didn’t lose a house, car, loved one or our own life, we can be thankful for that.
    But by now you’ve noticed one glaring omission off the list of bad things that happened in 2016. It will be the elephant (or donkey) painfully sitting in the middle of every Thanksgiving table. Everyone will want to talk about it, because it’s all anyone has talked about for the past three months.
    Yes. I’m talking about the Presidential election. And here’s my one request to you, the people of Statesboro, surrounding counties and anyone else who reads this.
    Don’t talk about it.
    Don’t bring it up. Don’t even think about it. It will be tempting. It will dangle right in front of your face like a shiny, spinning lure waving about in front of a clueless largemouth bass. Everything in you wants to grab that juicy topic and make your triumphant stand in front of your family.
    Don’t do it.
    I realize I haven’t been on planet earth for very long. I’m only 24 years old. My knowledge of life is very limited and my cognitive memory only goes back to 1995. But never in my life have I seen people I know, families, friends or the country as divided as it has been during this election.
    Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, it is a fact this election has been toxic. It’s poisoned the fabric of “We the People” and everything I ever recited in the pledge of allegiance growing up.
    “One nation, under God, indivisible…”, not in my eyes for the past three months.
    Let me just say this. Younger people, no matter what you say to your parents and grandparents — they have been on this earth a long time and are probably set in their ways. Nothing you tell them will make them change their minds politically.
    Older people, no matter what you think about your younger relatives views — they’re still your family. The same person you’re seething at was that baby you were overjoyed to hold when they were born in the hospital. You still love them. Politics shouldn’t change that.
    Don’t talk about the election. Talk about sports instead.
    Yes, sports! Sports are fun, and for the most part benign. You can argue with your cousin until you’re blue in the face over whether Tyson Summers should be fired or not, but at the end of the day you’re both cheering for the same team and no one thinks the other person is a “bigoted racist” or a “lazy liberal hippie”.
    Talk about the Iron Bowl. Talk about whether Matt Ryan is elite or not. Talk about the Braves new prospects or why the heck they signed Bartolo Colon. Talk about whether or not Dwight Howard is a crybaby or just misunderstood. Talk about anything but this damned election.
    Sports can divide us down imaginary lines based on where we graduated from college or what color laundry we wear. Win or lose, at the end of the day we can still look at that person as a friend or someone you respect.
    As the old adage goes, “Man, I sure do like George. Other than being a Georgia fan, he’s a pretty cool guy.”
    But sports won’t taint the views of someone we love or respect like politics will. That’s a stain that doesn’t wash off. Unnecessarily so.
    So, this holiday season when you go home or get together with family and friends, avoid election talk lest you want hours of nonsensical arguing followed by more hours of embittered silence and piercing stares — leaving you with a pit of regret in your stomach instead of turkey.
    Instead, sit down tonight, watch Texas A&M-LSU and speculate amongst family and friends as to whether or not Ed Ogeron will get the LSU job.
    Because at the end of the night, you won’t despise your family. And if you think I’m being dramatic, go ahead and talk about the election.
    But please, don’t.