15 Things Goths can be Thankful For

Thanksgiving is a contentious holiday at the best of times, it's history is a troubling one and the way it is directly followed by Black Friday (which you can probably guess how I feel about) means that it's not exactly everyone's favorite holiday. But, I like the idea of setting aside a day to feel Thankful for things, because whether we like it or not, life gets busy and sometimes we forget to be grateful. So, here are fifteen Goth-relate things I want to express my gratitude for today:

1. Our local thrift stores, and the people that donate to them
2. The Usual Suspects: Siouxsie Sioux, Robert Smith, Peter Murphy, and other Goth musicians that gave our subculture it's unique sound and flavor. 
3. The professional tattooists and Piercers that give many Goths our distinctive body mods (tip generously, folks!)
4. The caretakers of our local graveyards, especially ones that welcome the occasional picnic 
5. Small businesses dedicated to bringing well-made crafts, art objects, clothes, and more to the Goth community
6. Slack dress codes at work and school that allow for Goth-y clothing
7. Hammer Horror movies
8. Black liquid eyeliner that stays put
9. Bats, and all they do for our ecosystems as well as our wardrobes
10. Jillian Venters and other Goths that dispense advice to those in need
11. Whatever committee of high-fashion mobsters that sit around and decide every couple of years that we need another Goth trend, allowing for the abundance of darker clothing on sales racks and in thrift-stores everywhere
12. YA Novelists who write with freak-y kids in mind.
13. Tim Burton. You can guess why.
14. Shoes and boots that break in easily
15. The online community of Goths all over the net that bring us together and let us express ourselves

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?