Blame it on Baskin Robbins
I am sure that having way too many choices began in my favorite ice cream store as a teenager. I suspect you have all had the experience of waiting behind three teenagers who had to try 11 flavors with the little spoon, before they settled in on Triple Chocolate Banana Walnut Fudge Ripple.
Sometimes over—choice is no choice at all. I yearn for the TV days of three networks. Now on my cable TV, I have 600–some choices and I use only about five. Probably once a week, a family member or friend will say, “Are you watching ‘Ted Lasso’, or ‘Succession’or perhaps the 56 episodes of ‘Breaking Bad’? Again I will say “over—choice is no choice at all”. LALALALALALALALALALALALALA….
Today I went with a friend to Parlor Doughnuts, which is now the third business to make a run at the commercial property at 1st and Lincoln St., which is one block from South Broadway Christian Church. This was an ‘after the meeting—meeting’ for a bit of catching up. When I retired from South Broadway in 2015, the building was a science equipment store. Now it is a doughnut shop. For me a doughnut shop has about four standards with maybe six variations. They all start with either cake or glazed and break out from there.
At Parlor Doughnuts you are met with “French Toast” (doughnut) ‘Our Best Seller’. Then there are at least 25 other choices like “Turtle Cheesecake” or “Bourbon Carmel”. Our you can go “Lemonade” or “Strawberry Shortcake”. I could go on.
As I was sipping through my really good—not too expensive drip coffee, I was taken in by my ‘people—watching eye’. Doughnuts were flying out the door in six packs, twelve packs or four to a shared plate. It was almost like a scene from the musical “Oliver”… doughnuts glorious doughnuts. The eating disordered—compulsive overeating Mark wanted to pick out a half dozen just for me, and finish them off in a half an hour. The more sensible “recovering” Mark said, “Not today”. These doughnuts were not your three ounce varieties. They could each go, easily, a half pound.
My old mottos were: “I ain’t ever had too much fun” or “If it is worth doing it is worth overdoing”. My new mottos are: “Easy does it” and “Will it really make you feel better”?
Today—the new ones Won!!!
Onward and Upward,
Mark