Dessert For Breakfast?
Walt Cameron No CommentsFiled under: Inspirational
Ever Have Dessert For Breakfast?
One day recently I met a couple of my senior clients at our local breakfast coffee shop.
One of the guys, Bob, brought a friend of his, Don, who was a pleasant enough older gentleman about in his mid 70’s.
When the waitress brought our menus, we all ordered the usual bacon and eggs except for old Don who said, “I’ll have 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream …..with chocolate syrup……Oh yeah, and a tall coke with ice….please”.
My 2 clients and I kind of looked at each other in surprise…..didn’t say anything… just smiled. We tried to pretend this happened all the time at breakfast….so as not to embarrass Don. I gotta tell you folks that…when our orders came…. I just didn’t enjoy my bacon and eggs as much as I usually did….because I kept watching Don ….who was relishing every bit of his ice cream sundae.
The next week when I went out to breakfast, I invited Don, who I wanted to find out more about. Same thing…I ordered bacon and eggs…..this time…Don ordered a piece of apple pie……ala mode…..and….a tall Coke with ice! I kind of chuckled as he gave his order. Don asked, “What’s so funny?”
I said, “I just can’t get over someone who orders dessert and a coke for breakfast!”
Don said….”I decided a long time ago that…..as I was getting up there in age…..I would eat the things I like….when I wanted to eat them….and to heck with what’s normal or acceptable for most folks!” “You see Walt”, Don went on, “I turned 75 last month…and I never expected to live this long….in fact …my dear wife of 51 years …Gracie… passed away just last year.”
“So…I decided….that before I die….I would try and do all the things I hadn’t done for awhile…..like have dessert for breakfast!”
He laughed and said, “If Gracie were alive and I did this…she would have killed me….after she would remind me of my elevated cholesterol!”
“I have lots more fields of flowers to smell and more fly fishing streams to try.
Of course…there’s more chocolate sundaes and apple pie ala mode to eat in the morning, too!”
I told Don….”You have a great attitude about life…and I admire you for doing exactly what you want to do….I wish more people I know….including me….would think that way.
“You know, Don…we’re all so hung up on watching what we eat…where we go….put on some sunscreen or a hat….be careful how fast we drive….sometimes…we kind of miss out on what’s really important in life…don’t we?”
Don said….”That’s it ….Walt….you got it….you owe it to yourself to do what you want to do when you want to do it…..and …before we all die….make a lot more folks smile” “I’ll tell you what…..Don….there are a lot more places I want to see….a lot more stories I want to tell….and a lot more people I want to inspire”…..
Don went on to say….”I want to sail the Caribbean again….and drop an anchor in an azure colored deserted cove……I want to spend more time with my kids and grandkids…..take them to see more baseball games in the summer….watch more football games in the winter”.
“I want to teach my 6 yr old grandson how to tie a fly and catch a trout with it” “So…who cares if I decide to have dessert at breakfast….sometimes I have breakfast late at night….just for the heck of it.”
“But…I’ll tell you something…Walt…if I die before I wake up…..I would die happy because I didn’t miss out on a thing. I would gladly go to be with the Lord….see my lovely wife Gracie again……and be happy I had this apple pie ala mode for breakfast!”
Well…you folks can probably guess what happened next….that’s right…. I called the waitress over and said… “Cancel my bacon and eggs “I want some chocolate ice cream….in fact….I want 3 SCOOPS!
Don smiled and said….”Atta boy….Walt….you got it now”!
Folks…what Don and I are giving all of you is a gift…..the gift of choosing to do something unconventional…whatever it is….do something you wouldn’t ordinarily do…..like running in the rain…..or anonymously paying for someone’s lunch….or even something as unconventional as having dessert at breakfast!
Be very much aware that happiness isn’t based on how much money you have…or how big your home is….it’s about how many people you make smile or whose lives you influence in a positive way!
I know that many of you believe that Money Talks…..but….I believe that….at Breakfast…
CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM SINGS!