Penny for your Thoughts

Executive Editor Michael Miller
Executive Editor Michael Miller

Did you ever notice that if you stare at something straight on for a while, and then slightly shift your line of vision to one side or the other, you can actually see it more clearly.

The other day, while sitting in the courtyard at the corner of SW 58th and Sunset Drive, I found myself giving thought to this idea. I knew there was probably a scientific name for it, so I Googled around and discovered it’s called “averted vision.” First alluded to by Aristotle, this phenomenon is actually well known among astronomers. While observing an object in space peripherally, by slightly averting the line of vision, they can increase the resolution of that object by up to three or four times.

Simply stated, sometimes if you just look away all will be revealed.

So on this day, I was focused on my mission of parking my car and walking up to Starbuck’s to secure a quiet table and a hot latte in the shade. Little did I know, I was about to be blindsided.

As I rounded the corner, I was suddenly greeted by the shrill noise of a wet vac and uniformed workers with Galloway Contractors & Builders busy servicing the central fountain. One rep was on his side scrubbing the walls and base of the pool, while another examined a filter and adjusted a hose. They were just doing their job. But all I could think was, “They’ve invaded my space! What in the world do I do now?”

I decide to sit it out – and take it all in. I glanced idly to the far side of the courtyard, toward Giancarlo Jewelry Designs and their smart window display. Below the heart-shaped ornaments dangling from little white-washed tree branches were lines of shimmering diamonds and emeralds, earrings, and pendants all on sale. Oh that’s right, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.

Next, my eyes avert upward, to a balcony where I notice TamboWorks. I’ve heard of them. They offer shared-workspace for local professionals and entrepreneurs. What is a “Tambo” anyhow, I ask myself? Google to the rescue again: Who knew, the vast Incan Empire was held together by a huge network of Tambos or relay stations in which the Chasqui runners recharged after delivering messages across hundreds of miles. I imagine someday we’ll have Tambos in space…

Back here on Earth, the maintenance man flips a switch and the whirling stops. Now’s my chance and I simply must ask: “What do you do with all the pennies you just sucked out of the base of the fountain?”

Hesitant at first to answer such a curious question, he then softened with a slight and pleasant smile, and offered an answer so unexpected and affirming that it hit me like a meteor. “We put the pennies back!” he said. Well of course they do. How else do you keep all those hopes dreams alive.

The more closely we focus on what we expect to happen, the higher the probability we might miss seeing things in an entirely new and unimagined way… Penny for your thoughts.

Missing work, sitting in traffic, sitting some more in a waiting room; has anyone else experienced this? All this hassle and half a day loss due to bloodwork. The whole process of getting bloodwork done takes on a life of its own. I needed a better option… an in & out. What I found was even better! I can now schedule my lab tests at HOME, where a licensed nurse comes out, administers my tests (from the comfort of my own home!!) and delivers my lab work for me. Now I schedule testing appointments for my entire family either online or by phone, and nobody drives or waits. Try it for yourself: www.EZLabz.com | 305-915-6114

Cancer Society Gala
It’s just a short tap, skip, and a jump to the Fred Astaire Dancing Studios in Coral Gables, where the American Cancer Society hosted a super successful opening reception late last month for its upcoming “One More Time, Dancing for a Cause” Gala presented by Miami Cancer Institute-Baptist Health South Florida. More than 120 supporters joined with committee members and sponsors to raise awareness of the 2017 gala, scheduled for April 8 at the JW Marriott Marquis. Tables for the Gala range from $7,500 to $25,000. For information, call 305-779-2879.

Miami Cancer Institute Opens
In related news, the Miami Cancer Institute opened its doors Jan. 27 with great fanfare as more than 800 people gathered for a cocktail party and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the four-story facility on the Baptist Hospital campus at 8900 N. Kendall Drive. The $430 million cancer center and research facility consolidates clinical services, cancer research, and technology platforms under one roof. It also is the first in South Florida to offer something called proton therapy, which beams radiation directly to a tumor to destroy cancer cells while avoiding healthy tissue. We are so please that Baptist continues to bring unparalleled discoveries and cutting-edge research right here to our community. Congratulations!

Final Thoughts
Here’s some good news about a member of our news team, Bill Kress. He not only regularly contributes to the pages of the Community Newspapers, but also operates his own PR firm, Kress Communications where he serves as a consultant to a number of small businesses and non-profits, especially around Coral Gables, South Miami, and further into South-Dade.

Just last week, Bill extended his PR agreement with ChamberSOUTH as provider of publicity and social-media coverage of the organization’s many member events. And days later, he signed an agreement with the Minority Chamber of Commerce to serves as the organization’s exclusive PR firm, providing its membership with similar services in addition to serving as chairman of its newly formed Corporate Image Committee. Congratulations to Bill. We’re glad to have you among our ranks and wish you continued success.


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2 COMMENTS

  1. I love the way you trip in the morning Michael,we should have a coffee one of this if you visit San Francisco, the city in which I live…
    Claudio

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