WISDOM FROM THE FRUIT BOWL

“Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.”

Grateful Dead, Legendary Rock and Roll Band

Gather round the breakfast table. I have some exciting news. Fruit is not only good for our bodies but understanding it can make us better runners and ultimately more successful in the game of life.

Let’s get started.

The world manages to come up with over 9 million grapefruits a year, mostly from China, Vietnam, The United States, and Mexico. The benefits to our bodies from eating it are many. But to me, the most interesting feature of a grapefruit came from a very wise man who long ago observed, “Life is like a grapefruit, you never know which way it’s going to squirt.”

Just suppose your grapefruit squirts in a direction that in some way hurts you or turns your happy life into a pile of rubble. You really only have two options. You can become bitter or better. As yet another wise man from long ago pointed out, “A kick in the pants can still be a step forward.”

I am amazed with some of the folks who show up to run a marathon race. They have clearly chosen better over bitter. They are running 26.2 miles to prove to the world and that grapefruit that in spite of what life squirts at them, they can handle it. I’m talking about people with missing limbs, the blind, recovering alcoholics, burn victims, cancer survivors. And some of the money raised at these running events benefit just about every charity on the planet.

Now lace up your running shoes and make friends with a bowl full of grapes. Yes, I said grapes and I’ll let comedian Demetri Martin explain. He said, “My favorite fruit is grapes. Because with grapes, you get another chance. ’cause you know, if you have a crappy apple or a peach, you’re stuck with that crappy piece of fruit. But if you have a crappy grape, no problem – just move on to the next. ‘Grapes; the fruit of hope.”

The Bible put it this way, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12

The lesson here is very simple. Treat every calamity like a bowl of grapes and never give up. If one solution doesn’t work, back up and make another run at your problem with a new idea. Now, here comes another wise man. His name is Anonymous and his advice, “If you don’t like the fruits you are growing, then change the seeds you are sowing. Very well said, Anonymous. Maybe the answer to your problem is a new bunch of friends, a better menu, or more sleep. But you’ll never find out if you give up. Before we leave the breakfast table, one more piece of advice from humorist Will Rogers.

“You’ve got to go out on a limb sometimes because that’s where the fruit is.”

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