[2022-10-01] Saturday Synopsis #11
Story of the week: Thank you for asking me my name
As I shared in Saturday Synopsis #4, I once again bring you a tale by Dr. Bertice Berry, an American sociologist, author and speaker. Berry is an amazing storyteller. In this week's story, she shares that she bought breakfast for a woman who was without a house who had approached her in a coffee shop. Berry said, "I'm Bertice. What's your name?" The woman shared her name and a bit about herself. After the woman ordered her meal, she said to Berry, "Thank you for this breakfast...but you know what? Thank you for asking me my name. Thank you for letting me tell you my story." Berry also noted that the people at the coffee shop treated the woman with the same dignity as every other customer.
It reminded me of my and Melanie's return visit to the Owl Cafe this week. As I explained in Saturday Synopsis #7, the Owl Cafe hires and trains staff and interns on the autism spectrum. It's wonderful to see all the people who work at the cafe, as well as all the patrons, treating the staff and interns with dignity, patience and inclusion. Owen, who had served us on our first visit, was back, so I said, "Hi Owen. You served us the last time we were here."
Berry concluded her story by saying, "If you ever run into a woman named Aretha, tell her Bertice said hello."
Quote of the week: Star-bright network
This week's quote comes from Donna Ashworth:
If every single person who has liked you in your lifetime, were to light up on a map, it would create the most glitteringly beautiful network you could imagine. Throw in the strangers you've been kind to, the people you've made laugh, or inspired along the way and that star-bright network of you would be an impressive sight to behold. You are so much more than you think you are. You have done so much more than you realise. You're trailing a bright pathway that you don't even know about. What a thing. What a thing indeed.
Song of the week: If you only knew
This week's song of the week, If you only knew, is featured on the Gabriels' first installment of their debut album, Angels & Demons, which was released yesterday. Gabriels is made up of gospel singer Jacob Lusk, producer and keyboardist Ryan Hope, and producer-composer and violinist Ari Balouzian. You may remember Lusk from the 2011 season of American Idol. My daughter was enamored with Lusk, so much so that we traveled to Toronto to see him and the entire American Idol Season 10 cast in concert. If you only knew is a beautiful marriage of Lusk's soaring vocals, backed by a gospel choir, and accompanied by Hope's intriguing piano and Baluzian's gorgeous violin.
Recipe of the week: Oatmeal muffins with apples, walnuts and raisins
On Tuesday, while I was recovering from my fifth dose of a COVID vaccine, I asked Chris to make muffins. Specifically, I requested Oatmeal muffins rich with in-season apples, walnuts, raisins by Eric Akis, food writer for the Victoria Times Colonist. They were delicious. If you like a slightly less sweet muffin, you could try reducing the brown sugar from ½ cup to ⅓ cup or even ¼ cup.
Laugh of the week: Good boys get cookies
One of the videos that I considered for video of the week was this one that I'll call "Good boys get cookies." Here's the setup: the owner of a dog pretends to make a call on her cellphone during which she uses her dog's favourite words. She begins by saying she's calling to find out what good boys get. Her dog perks up his ears as it hears the woman say, "They get treats? And biscuits? Oh my gosh, they get cookies? Good boys get cookies?" The dog appears just behind her, tilting his head back and forth at the sound of "treats," "biscuits" and "cookies." She continues: "Do they go pottie? OK, and then we go to the park for a walk?" But when she says, "Oh, but then they need a bath and have to get their nails done?" the dog scurries off screen. It's the cutest thing.
Video of the week: The best way to be happy
Several videos made the shortlist for video of the week, but the one I chose to highlight is a brief one by Charlie Mackesy, author of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. It begins with the question: "What's the best way to be happy?" The horse replies: "Be kind." At first glance, this might seem like a trite, superficial answer. But it's far from it. In my experience, being kind is one of the best ways to be happy. Is kindness always rewarded? No. But being kind often leaves me feeling better than just about any other action.
Today, for example, the doorbell rang. When I answered the door, there was no one there. I quickly realized that I had been the victim of a ring-and-run. I surmised that the perpetrators were not far. I returned to the house, grabbed my jacket and slipped out the back door, just in time to see a young boy from the street ring a neighbour's doorbell and run away while announcing to his friends that he had done it.
"Hey," I called out sharply, which stopped him and his friends in their tracks. "Did you just ring that doorbell and run?" I asked. He didn't answer, but he knew the jig was up. I softened my tone, "Ringing people's doorbells is not cool," I said. I proceeded to talk to them about what else they could be doing to amuse themselves.
"We could play tag," the guilty party suggested, clearly relieved that the interrogation had shifted to something more positive.
"That's great," I observed. "No one gets hurt when you play tag."
The oldest boy in the group chimed in, "You can get hurt playing tag."
"OK," I retorted, "what would you suggest?" I don't like people who criticize others' ideas without offering any of their own.
"We could play manhunt."
"Good," I replied. "And how about you?" I called out to the third boy of the group, who was standing some distance away.
"We could play hide-and-go-seek," he said, approaching us now.
"Great," I responded. "Those are all terrific ways to spend time that don't involve annoying other people. Carry on boys."
I then went back into my house, happy that I had managed to turn my initial frustration into something good.
Photo of the week: Selfie of a selfie
I don't take a tonne of photos of Chris and me, but judging by his mischievous grin in the pic below, you'd think that I did. While I was taking a selfie of the two of us, Chris pretended to be taking a selfie of a selfie. His impish smile and my own genuine expression of amusement reflect a moment of hilarity between the two of us, which makes it a perfect candidate for photo of the week.
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