Ice cream, metaphysics, and everyday honesty are on the menu today, yet as Alan Watts reminds us, the menu is not the meal. In this post I unpack that Thought of the Day and Question of the Day duo, wander into some vanilla-flavored confessions, and share a few real-life stories that taste far better than they read on paper.
Thought of the Day: “The menu is not the meal.” — Alan Watts
You know that moment when you order the “house-special sundae” because the menu photo looks like Michelangelo carved it? Ten minutes later a half-melted scoop with a tilted cherry arrives, and you realize paper promises are not edible reality.
Watts’s line is a nudge to experience life directly. Reading parenting blogs is not the same as the 3 a.m. diaper dash. A bold mission statement at work is not the same as Monday morning spreadsheets. Even this post is still only words until you let the idea land, melt, and mingle with your own experience.
If this morsel is hitting home, you might enjoy my earlier reflection on thinking upstream instead of downstream or the time I explored fictional characters as personal sidekicks. Both dig into the gap between glossy brochure and gritty reality.
Question of the Day: What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Mostly, I am a plain vanilla guy. Call it boring if you must, but vanilla is the reliable friend who never flops at the birthday party. When I am feeling reckless, strawberry steps up with its rosy optimism, while chocolate-chip cookie dough whispers, “Go ahead, live a little.”
Ice cream preferences reveal more than a sweet tooth. Vanilla lovers crave steady comfort, strawberry fans chase nostalgic summers, and cookie-dough devotees enjoy a little chaos in every bite. Last year I asked what taste you most associate with spring, and your answers proved flavor memories run deep.
So, what does your go-to scoop say about you? Drop a comment below. I read every single one, usually while spoon-in-hand, just to keep the research honest.
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