Cup of Joe - May 17, 2026
By Joe McKenzie
Skip: Well, no don’t skip reading this one. During spring break, my granddaughters were so excited they broke into a spontaneous skip. Don’t try it. It could make you remember when it felt joyous to be able to move so easily. That same week, author/theologian Kate Bowler advised in a podcast that she received the advice to not skip to the end. Ever do that with a book? Or a movie? Do you really want to know how life ends? The point is to live now. Focus on today. Focus on the people and events in your life today. Make good things happen while you can and you may have a better chance at a lovely ending when that time comes. Watch children skip with joy. But, don’t skip to the end. You’ll miss so much.
Still Life: About 13 years ago, Google Maps was cruising slowly down South 9th Street and they captured and froze in time a local home owner. He was sitting on a folding chair on his quiet June lawn. Was it hot and dry? He had his back to the camera on the street. He was holding a green hose and watering his grass and shrubs. This is a frozen in time moment on a warm summer day. The white spray of water kind of continues all these seasons later. Too much water? Or did that water pause in midair and never reach the earth? The green of the grass looks wonderful at this time of year. They may have updated their film since that simple moment in time.
Gracias: Heard this word spoken at Salina Family Healthcare by a staff member to a patient and it somehow widened open hearts in the waiting room. Usually, cardiac work is done downtown. It’s messy. This one word procedure is done every day in the waiting and patient treating rooms. Internal medicine or cardiac doctors do not have exclusive authority to this area of their patients. Being kind to each other adds life. Caring makes us more human. Multi-cultural manners cleans out arteries that have been previously blocked by misunderstanding and hate filled plaque. Open your heart. Kindness is free. No cardiac rehab required.
Clover: Came across a patch of clover on the Salina Municipal Golf Course. There were no desperate golfers searching for the four leaf variety. The odds are 1 in 5,000 - 10,000. Would it be a waste of time to scan for a few minutes? Is there any chance the rare specimen would actually bring a bit of luck? Most golfers will race by this patch on their golf cart searching for a small white ball. Golfers lose balls in tall and short grass every day. The four leaf clover for luck idea is Celtic Folklore. Fun. The Celtic world includes Scotland. Golf originated in 15th century Scotland. Good luck!
Save: Save is a serious word. People are saved. Saving documents has become crucial to our well being. We can all be heroes. We don’t need to be a Navy Seal, a first responder or a blood donor to save. Though, giving blood is a doable task for many. You can also hit or click on save and all the good work you created is stored safely somewhere somehow. It could be a nightly prayer. God, thank you for your grace that gave me the ability to hit save. May my storage increase to meet demand for my endless photos, important and non-important messages. Are your prayers saved in a free limitless spiritual cloud? Have faith in the cloud that holds so much of our life, including tech miracles.