This is Deputy Digby Pancake. I’ve been told I have selective hearing.

Of course, I never want to hear we are out of pancakes. Or out of maple syrup. I never want to hear that I need to drop a few pounds. And I certainly don’t want to hear about emergencies. I am not a first responder. I’m a last responder after all the responding has been responded to.

So when we were hiking the other day and some weird, urgent voice started yelling out of the middle of nowhere, which we were at, it was alarming.

At first I heard the words “warning” and “tornado”. Then I heard, “Exercise, Exercise, Exercise!”

“Exercise, Exercise, Exercise!”

Now. I’m no Richard Simmons. But I like his shorts.

And Brickle is not Olivia Newton John, although he claims he could wear those pants.

But if there was anything ever more confusing then this announcement, I’ve never heard one. Seek shelter from a tornado but then exercise? So do you do push ups or squats? And do you do them before the tornado or during it? And in either situation, how long must you do this?

Seems to me that persons try to prepare for the worst, but then scare you with the worst before the worst happens. Squats are very scary. Especially if Brickle is wearing those pants.

We all must heed warnings. And we all must protect ourselves from harm. It’s good to be prepared for life situations. It’s good to think ahead. But don’t think too much ahead that you forget the good in today. The truth is, there are more normal and pleasant moments than emergencies. Why don’t we remember those times more?

There may not have been a tornado that day. And we didn’t exercise. But we got some sweet potato fries. And I’ll pretend that’s what I heard.

–Deputy Digby Pancake

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