Friday Donuts

Friends,
I’ve occasionally been accused of dabbling in philosophy. I finally understood why. Last night my sister texted me a white board containing her friend Tarnell Brown’s philosophy primer. It would appear a long line of deep thinkers throughout history has pondered deep fried pastries. Who knew the search for meaning centered around a sweet doughy ring? As they say, if the donut fits, eat it! On this beautiful new morning, I hope you find yourself a perfectly sized donut to give this new day a fitting start (I can’t think of a better way to wash down the pie you surely had yesterday). Happy Friday!

Friends, As spring nears, days are steadily getting longer, filling the soul with optimism. To make matters better, our clocks will be springing forward this Sunday, shifting an additional hour of daylight from morning to evening. The world seems a less foreboding place, ripe with potential. Leaves will soon be springing to life as the winter chill loosens it’s grip. Songbirds are about to return with their melodious chirping while Canada geese are about to... well, stick around (I think they’ve decided Canada, for all it’s hype, isn’t worth the semi-annual peregrination). And speaking of migrations, if you’re planning to work at the downtown Denver Spaces office today, bring your sweet tooth. I’ll bring the donuts. Happy Friday!

Friends, Last night, Rice University organized an alumni networking session at Mile High Spirits. I entered the trendy distillery/bar full of hip young adults and as I’m scanning the landscape looking for the event, someone walks up to me and says “go through that door and you will find your people.” My people? Keep in mind I had not asked for help and he had not asked me any questions. I must have looked out of place -a fish out of water. I’m clearly not as cool as I imagine. Of course, I didn’t let that stop me from having a couple of glasses of Chocolate Donut Bourbon on the rock from their infusion list (I’d say “rocks”, but it was a single giant ice cube). Very smooth. I think that should count as my donut consumption for the week. In what form will you take your donut today? Happy Friday!

Friends, Travel and xenophobia. Our views on these topics are often tainted by where we started. If you come from an affluent nation, you take for granted that the doors of every country (outside the “axis of evil”, of course) will be open. The world is your oyster. Come to think of it, if you are an affluent member of a poor country, your outlook is not that different. Could it be the current outbreak of xenophobic paranoia is really a case of wealthism? (if it wasn’t a word before, it is now!). It’s not that we don’t want foreigners -America is, after all, a diverse melting pot. We just don’t want them if they’re poor (uneducated, desperate, bad hombres from ******** countries). Maybe we should update the plaque at the Statue of Liberty. “Give me your tourists, your rich, your investing partners yearning to breathe free” –feels more current. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for capitalism and wealth accumulation as each individual’s reward for pulling themselves up by their own bootstr…

Friends, These are the future good old days and now is your opportunity to create those nostalgic memories you will one day cherish. Each moment, we can make a decision that will alter the course of our lives. That’s an empowering notion. What will you remember when you look back on February, 2019? Will it be just another busy month that flew by in a blur? Or will it be something more special? Make time to spend with colleagues, friends and loved ones. Give a compliment. Share a kind thought. Try something new. Take a chance! Heck, you might even try a new donut shop. Whatever you do, now’s the perfect time to do it. Happy Friday!

Friends, Icons help us intuitively understand a message… or not. Last Friday as I rode the gondola up the mountain at Winter Park, I was intrigued by the cryptic symbols before me. I’m not sure I got them all right, so I figured I’d share my interpretations with you. No flaming swordsNo asking fellow gondola riders out to danceNo miming-you are ALREADY in a glass box!No turning your back on sitting passengersNo smoking (I’m pretty sure I got this one right!)No disco dancingNo trying to look coolNo posing as Captain Morgan Please let me know if you have a better interpretation. Regardless of what the meaning of the icons is, all of them are set in a circular background, the universal symbol of a donut. So enjoy! Happy Friday!