For What It's Worth...

This week, I ordered some food from one of Austin's crop of prepared food delivery services so I could feel what it's like to be a Soupie. The little bit of mystery, anticipation, and ultimately the tasting experience. I understand as well as anyone the complexities and challenges inherent in sharing handmade, lovingly-prepared food with a distributed audience. But I wanted to see if I could just get a sense of what it's like to be you... making a leap of faith and trading some hard-earned money for a service.

I was very pleased with several of the items, but there was one that didn't quite do it for me. I just didn't care for it. It seemed very nicely and attentively prepared and packaged. I didn't feel cheated. I didn't feel like it would stop me from supporting them in the future (if I wasn't already swimming in our food). But I just wasn't jazzed about it... the main problem is that I wouldn't really go running to my friends to share the news of this great service. I put the offending article in the fridge so that it could slowly get pushed to the back of the shelf and several weeks from now be dumped down the drain, and I pictured my own Soupies doing the same thing, and it made me sad.

Every week, you make that same leap of faith... you trust that its going to be good. You can't taste it ahead of time. The waiter can't gauge your disappointed expression and ask if everything's okay. Our part is to do the best we can and your part is to let us know how we did. It should be like a conversation, not a monologue. We don't need a blow-by-blow account of your evening's enjoyment and wouldn't burden you with any such unnecessary obligation, but we do want to hear from you if you ever suffer the disappointment that I described above. We understand that 'no news is good news', except when it's not.

What we offer is the closest thing we can to a satisfaction guarantee... since we're not a restaurant, we can't have the chef come out to fall on his or her sword and offer you dessert, but we can credit your account for any such disappointments. And we're glad to do so. You needn't feel embarrassed, just let us know. Easy. I used to be one of those folks who never sends food back, but now I understand that it's important to do that sometimes. The proprietors would much rather know, so they can make an effort to preserve a positive relationship. They honestly don't think any less of you for it, believe me.

So, you're probably wondering, 'Did he let them know about the dish he didn't like?'

Well, no, I didn't. But I hold you to a higher standard than I do myself, in accordance with the time-tested parental maxim, which you are allowed to use up to three times on Father's Day: Do As I Say, Not As I Do.

The Optimist Creed

First, I would like to share an article from this week's New York Times which absolutely blew me away... the fascinating system of homemade meal delivery in Mumbai, India... please take some time to read it here. Discuss amongst yourselves.

Second, at the risk of turning this newsletter into a motivational pamphlet with loopy italic fonts against a shimmering heavenly background, I want to share with you the Optimist Creed, which is a beautiful collection of rather unattainable notions. It is compelling, though, and I think if you or I were able to realize even a single one of these affirmations, we'd be on some sort of right track. So here it is...

Promise Yourself-
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

There you have it. Not a whole lot to report from Soup Peddler Central Station except that we are sifting through your excellent submissions to the Harvesting The Great Soupie Brain 2000 contest. Remember when appending the number 2000 to something made it sound far off and futuristic? I guess we're on to 3000 now. Thank you as always for your input and continued support.

He's Crazy Too

So last Tuesday this crazy guy showed up at our door... his name is Mark Maund and he's on a 15,000 mile cycling expedition around North America and he just landed in Austin spouting tales of adventures. Somebody told him, "You ought to go see The Soup Peddler. He's crazy too." For some details of his little jaunt, go to northamericacyclingexpedition.com. I think that Austin, necessarily, made a great impression on him since a planned one-night stay has turned into one-week. Good job Austinites for being the sweetest gentlest kindest most welcoming folks in the world. It's been fun to witness Mark's amazement at the culture that we take for granted... and he's seen a lot of this country up close.

I have to say that his visit dovetails with my fresh feeling of culture shock upon returning to Austin from Italy. It's so good to get a chance to feel Austin and its warm embrace anew.