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On my way to dispense birthday wishes the other day, I walked by the Church of the Holy Trinity on Rittenhouse Square. That’s where I saw this sign. It struck me as an interesting outreach idea. It’s almost like a homeless mission, except with a different target demographic — come for the wi-fi, stay for the sermon. I don’t know how well it works, but I give them points for being clever.

And speaking of connectivity, I was pleased to see several folks I know from the virtual world at Frank’s birthday gathering. Some of them were previously known to me, some I met for the first time in the real world.

One of the previously known people was Albert Yee, a gifted photographer and friend whose work I’m pleased to have on display at home. One of the first time encounters was Laura Kicey, another person whose photography I’ve admired for some time. It’s always nice to make a real world connection every once in a while. And it’s also nice to run into a few of those connections on occasion.

with no guarantee,
life belongs to those who see
each day’s potential

*
I made a trek to center city yesterday to dispense early birthday wishes to Frank. While in route on the Schuylkill Expressway, the above haiku started to form in my head. After parking, I stopped in Rittenhouse Square to scribble it on a sheet of paper in my pocket, along with a slight note for Frank. In honor of the occasion, I wanted him to have the only handwritten copy.

The above haiku struck me as a pretty good toast to a man who certainly gets the most out of his days. Here’s hoping today (his actual birthday) is no exception. Happy birthday, Frank!

The scribbled and borrowed haiku continue at long last. We send you to your weekend with one from “Writer X” — in other words, someone wishing to remain anonymous.

To check out the other secondhand contributions to date, just click here. If you think you might like to join in, you’d be welcome to send a contribution of your own.

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