Friday Donuts

Friends, Ever walk by a church and notice a saint precariously perched on a ledge or niche? The calm expression on their face belies no trace of any fear of heights. Seems odd, don’t you think? Seriously! If I were eighty feet above street level, there’s no way you’d see me standing so close to the edge without a railing or handhold. Then again, I’m no saint. And, since being deceased is a prerequisite to canonization, surely they're not suicidal. I must say, though, that the halos on their heads do make me crave a donut. If only Holy Donuts had not gone out of business during covid. I guess I’ll just have to settle for some Dunkin’. Happy Friday!

Friends, The world is always trying to put a smile on your face, if you let it. Examples abound. Take something as serious as Matthew Perry’s overdose death: the spokesperson for the DEA is … wait for it … Anne Milgram. Seriously, how many milligrams? Anne! (It works better in a scottish accent). Or the scientist who ran the InSight mission on Mars. Bruce Banerdt. Hope he wasn't exposed to gamma ray radiation, I'd hate to see him get angry and turn into a green monster. And speaking of monsters, ever notice some trees look like upside down giant cephalopods? Just add an eyeball or two and willow becomes cuthulhu. Who'se a cute tentacled soul-eating deity? And of course donuts are always a surefire way to put a smile on any face. Go get you some! Happy Friday!

Friends, Ironic as it may sound, when anything is possible, nothing can happen until you rule something — or things — out. Unbound potential needs constraints to reach realization. That blank sheet could become a poem, a portrait or a position paper, but it won’t be anything until you channel a direction to take it. You might say the path not taken is just as important to get you where you are going. So, as you go out this morning, remember you can only have that delicious chocolate glazed donut by choosing not to have that cruller, old fashioned and crème filled that looked just as good on the shelf. Or just grab a dozen and put off the choice until you get home. Happy Friday!

Friends, If a business offers a product and no one knows about it, can it still make a profit? While philosophers ponder the question, marketers take action. Going from awareness to consideration to purchase means getting the word out by any viable means. One such mean appears to be utility poles. At least that’s the view shared by homework assistants, laundromats, upholsterers and fiber internet companies. Whether you want to complete your thesis in a month, get your laundry picked up and delivered, have your couch upholstery updated — or just want faster internet, let your feet do the walking and stroll up to the aging pasted ads on a pole near you. And, if the products you want aren’t featured, there’s always Google. Speaking of which, my latest search yielded a place in town called Patrick’s donuts (rated five stars by all 11 reviewers). Wish me luck. Happy Friday!

Friends, Sham elections in Venezuela to perpetuate tyranny. Bogus trials in Russia to collect swappable prisoners. Fake candidates in the U.S., lying to get your vote. If world news feels like a heavy rock coming down on you, remember goodness is so prevalent it’s not newsworthy. It’s all around us, so we take it for granted. You find it in that relative’s warm hug, that friend’s contagious laughter or that colleague's small gesture. That beautiful painting, that spectacular sunset, or that delicious donut. What everyday acts of virtue, kindness and honesty have you witnessed today? Happy Friday!