Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 3, 1993 TAG: 9303030387
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ROBERT M. CHAPMAN
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
SMOKING TO GO
I CAN'T believe it! Yes, change is everywhere - even at the Krispy Kreme doughnut shop on Roanoke's Melrose Avenue. They say there are some signs. Rude signs. Unfriendly signs. Signs that go against the filling. Uninviting signs posted on doors. Who do those managers think they are anyway? Doughnut holes!Yes, it's true. One Sunday morning, while stopping to pick up a dozen for her church-school class, my wife came back to the car and proclaimed the earth-shattering news. (I waited in the car to avoid doughnut temptation.)
"Did you know they have a `No Smoking' sign in there now?"
"No," I said. "I bet that went over like a lead balloon with the locals." But it was true. The sign says: "We have a limited seating capacity in our shop. To ensure everyone's comfort, we thank you for not smoking." Good heavens! What next? I thought.
Don't they know my best sermon material comes from the good folks at the K.K., smokers and nonsmokers alike? I mean of all places in the world, where even a nonsmoker like myself could go and enjoy a breath of fresh air from real people.
Need a friend, or a person to chat with, it's "pull up a stool, partner!" A place where you can sip and stare, and swing on the bar stool until you are dizzy from smoke and stool.
Krispy Kreme is my version of the Old West where everyone who swings through the door is welcomed to the counter. Where locals eye suspecting strangers, and where you are somebody if the waitress knows your first name, let alone your regular order. "Two cakes and a coffee, Bub!" Kinda resembles Sam and Miss Kitty greeting Marshall Dillon, Doc and Festus at the town gathering spot.
And now a sign that's the equivalent of saying "No Card Games" at the Long Branch.
Yes, even Krispy Kreme is changing. Like their competitors, they now sell doughnut holes called Krispy Knibbles. They got these new flashy signs on both side windows, in the shape of a doughnut proclaiming excitedly, "Hot Doughnuts Now." The corporate folks even have their logo on one of those fancy race cars driven by that Davey Allison fellow, the good ol' boy with the Alabama accent.
Despite all these signs of the time and modern changes, I still like Krispy Kremes. They offer a taste of salvation, and the sweet smell of heaven. With its crowns, the sign on top of the building even resembles a glimpse of the kingdom to come. I am a staunch defender and proclaimer of the doughnut cause. They are a part of me; I grew up eating them in church. Have a boring meeting with coffee and doughnuts, I'll be there.
Yes, change is everywhere. We have a new president, who himself looks like he could down a dozen. The debate over allowing homosexuals into the military continues, as does the debate over ordaining self-avowed homosexuals as pastors in the church. The Dallas Cowboys are back; Dave is moving from NBC to CBS; and the Sears catalog is history.
What next? Change is everywhere and is sometimes difficult for us to grasp. Yet change can be good, as it helps us see things differently, like doughnut holes. Our relationship with our Creator and even our understanding of the Scriptures can change over time. The Creator and the Spirit do cause change.
All places of worship and eateries throughout the valley should have signs. Signs that are inviting, warm and friendly to all people, smokers and nonsmokers. Signs that say welcome.
Despite the change at my place of communion with the locals where I gather sermon material, I welcome the unfriendly "No Smoking" sign at the K.K. But please, avoid the nutritional calorie charts!