Humor Me

With a boundless heart should one cherish all living things.

Metta Sutta
*****************
Metta Sutta is from a Buddhist text and it means "good will" or "compassion" and could also be called "good humor."

I don't know if they still have them but when I was a youngster there were "Good Humor" trucks that traveled around to various neighborhoods, refrigerated trucks that sold pop sickles and ice cream during the summer months. The ringing bells would announce the arrival of the Good Humor truck and kids would go out to buy chocolate covered vanilla ice cream on a stick, or an ice cream sandwich or some other deliciously sweet, cold treat. Our Good Humor man was a genial fellow who obviously liked us kids.

About 30 years later I met a man who had been a Good Humor driver in a different area. He said that his route had taken him into the inner city, the ghetto. When he stopped, the kids would all come running up and stand around waiting for someone to buy something. Occasionally someone did and the kids would gather around the door when he opened it. One day he asked one of the older fellows why the young ones did that and he was told it was because of the cool air. Their families couldn't afford air conditioning and some of them didn't have refrigerators. In the summer the occasional open fire hydrant and the Good Humor truck were the only relief from the oppressive heat.

From then on whenever he went into the ghetto he would open the door and leave it open for a while even if no one bought anything. He also took to packing bags of ice cubes to pass out to them. He was a popular guy. There was probably a lot of cherishing going on in both directions.

DB
****************

WEEKEND PUZZLE

PFBCG PMM DOKVTY, PVN PD PMM DKRGY,

LUPWDKWE QBXUYGMZ KV TBBN OXRBU.

DOBRPY IGZZGUYBV

Good luck
DB