This Week

It started on Sunday, when I lectored at church, reading about the apostle Peter and his tribulations while walking on the water. It seems that Jesus, while performing the magical feat of walking on the water, told the doubted Peter that he, too, could do it if he had the faith. Peter set out across the water, but when his faith slipped, he fell into the water. At this time, Jesus talked about Peter.."oh ye of little faith". I got it. Jesus took Peter outside his comfort zone, and tested his faith, which is where I am right now. I am outside my comfort zone, sent here by a higher force. Then the news about Bernie Mac surfaced. Dead at 50. That ain't right. Then, when I heard about Isaac Hayes, I was truly stunned. One of the cassettes that my brother brought home from Vietnam was "Hot Buttered Soul". It had a certain smell to the cassette (maybe it was the plastic or whatever, but I know that smell anywhere) and it was one of my first exposures to the guy who brought us the "Theme From Shaft". He was one of the baddest muffuggahs on the planet. Man, Isaac was supercool. One of the first guys to shave his head, he pulled it off with style and grace.

Hey, Michael Phelps, go, man, go. Win them all, bro.