Happy Friday!

This picture of Stubby the Iguana is brought to you by way of family in Pompano Beach, Florida. Stubby lives in the neighbor's palm tree and ambles over to Ted and Cindy's on sunny afternoons for free vegetarian grub. Loves grapes, tomatoes not so much. Iceberg lettuce, yes, but spinach, don't think so. They say beggars can't be choosy...Stubbs hasn't heard that saying.

He was dubbed Stubbs after one of the multitude of recent hurricanes to pass through left him with only a partial tail. It's grown back, but the tell-tail difference in coloration indicates where the new part is. Stubby's a survivor. Unbeaten. Unbowed.

There is a population explosion of Iguanas in Pompano Beach. They're becoming pests (sorry, Stubby). Hard to imagine any creatures so ugly, scaly and slow-moving could be getting shagged so much that their resulting offspring cause a problem. But then again, my mother always said, "there's somebody for everyone." Apparently this goes double for Iguanas in Pompano Beach, Florida.

Despite the hazards of losing life, limb or lizard tail in the frequent storms, the vibe in Pompano Beach is ultra pleasant. Laid back and beach-bummy. Thinking of Stubbs, how he crawled underneath a dock and hung by his toenails while the hurricane did its worst, I'm reminded that most of what I get twisted over isn't worth the worry. Stubbs does nothing more than show up and goofy people feed him grapes and lettuce and want to have their picture taken with him. Heck, Mr. Wonderful even put Stubby's picture on T-Shirts and ran him for president.

If an ugly, scaly and slow-moving thing like Stubby could be so well cared for, I probably don't need to worry so much about getting my own needs met. No, I don't think the world owes me. I try not to have an attitude of entitlement. Gratitude and appreciation are much more rewarding and appropriate responses to life. I'm not saying there aren't appalling, hideous, egregious aspects to life---more than half the world's children are suffering extreme deprivations from poverty, war and HIV/AIDS.

At the same time that almost half a billion children on the planet don't have access to safe drinking water, children in this country have moonwalks installed on their front lawns for birthday parties.

Growing up guilt-ridden and Southern Baptist, (that's redundant, isn't it?) you are taught that on judgment Day you will be called to account for yourself. You'll review an instant-replay of your life and be asked, "What did you do with what you were given?"

Now, there's plenty to dislike about Southern Baptist weirdo theology, but that idea--what do you do with what you are given?--isn't too bad.

I asked God, "why do you let innocent children die of starvation? Why
don't you do something?"

And God said, "I did do something."

"Oh yeah? What?"

"I made you."