Friday Donuts

Friends, Expectations and reality don't always see eye-to-eye. On Tuesday CNN wrote that job seekers want record-high wages. High expectations. On the same day, the Wall Street Journal reported companies are cutting pay for new hires. Reality check. One hopes the two will be aligned, but in the long run reality will prevail, no matter what your expectations might be. I might expect the weather to cooperate with my afternoon run but Saint Peter may have other plans. That's not to say one shouldn't have a positive attitude -- self-fulfilling prophecies are a thing -- but it's wise to hope for the best but plan for the worst. This morning I bid you adieu in hopes that my donut won't disappoint... chomp... and whaddaya know, it didn't! Happy Friday!

Friends, Working from home has deprived me of my commute news ritual. To compensate, I've developed the bad habit of reading the news in bed. In so doing, I've noticed CNN seems to be getting sloppy with their news feed. Specifically, the words "body copy" are popping-up at the end of several articles. My first instinct is to chalk-it-up as an artifact of the template they use to produce their newsletter. Somebody is forgetting to delete the placeholder text, and nobody is catching the fact that it's still there. Then again, there's a chance it might be something else altogether. After all, "body copy" would be a fairly accurate way to refer to a clone. If one of the articles in question referenced the de-extinction efforts around mammoths and Tasmanian tigers, it's quite possible they were describing the clones they would use to re-populate these species. I specifically recall a Serena Williams gender reveal story -- in this case, I suppose her

Friends, Fear is a healthy response to immediate danger. It can keep you alive by steering you away from berated lions and treacherous cliffs. Unfortunately, fear can also distort your perception. It can make an unlikely outcome seem probable, even imminent. It can demoralize, destabilize and even paralyze. That’s why fear is such an effective control mechanism. When an evil act or tragic event is reported to us it’s important to put it in perspective. Yes, it’s sad, and yes, there are bad people out there — but the good far outnumber the bad. When fear of distant events and unlikely outcomes taps you on the shoulder, take a deep breath, bite into a donut and realize it’s still as sweet as it was last week. P.S. Rest in peace, Fernando Villavicencio. May many fearless leaders rise in Ecuador to fill the void you leave behind.

Friends, Postponing the inevitable is never a futile exercise. Circumstances change and what may seem unavoidable today may well be avoided tomorrow. From our limited vantage point it's impossible to predict how all the complex variables will play out. So if there's a seemingly lost cause you believe in, keep it afloat. Push it forward. Let it live to see another day. Heck, get Saint Jude Thadeus involved if you need to. After all, life is a journey, not a destination. Don't fret future loss. Most importantly, don't give up! The more you focus on the end, the less you get to enjoy all the wonderful things that can happen along the way -- if only you let them. Enjoy that donut today. Tomorrow will bring a new one, and who knows, it may be even better. One can only hope. Hang in there, red flower! Happy Friday!