Saturday, September 26, 2009

Free Time

Just picked up a free "SoyJoy" bar on my way to the doctor. Marketers with matching T-shirts and messenger bags were giving them out on Michigan Avenue. Two days ago, I came home with free organic Greek yogurt (and spoons!). Chicago is quite the place to be for people who love free samples. (When I was a kid, I had a book "1001 Free Samples" with addresses of companies you could write to for miniature packages of their products. I obtained such things as tiny bottles of "Wright's Bar-B-Que Smoke" and little boxes of Calgon Bath Oil Beads. I hardly ever used any of these freebies (that wasn't the point; besides, what on earth was "Bar-B-Que Smoke"?).
If I had to categorize the free stuff I've gotten in Chicago over the years, my favorites would have to be:
  • a whole case of Diet Coke with Lemon (when it was introduced)
  • multiple cans of Starbucks' Espresso Shots
  • this week's Greek yogurt.
Perhaps the most necessary freebies have been:
  • the Starbucks' Espresso Shots
  • Nescafe's instant coffee (in those "stick" envelopes; perfect for travel!)
The least appreciated free sample?
SoyJoy. But one of the sisters likes them, so I bring them home. All together, I must have gotten around 20 of these fruit-flavored cardboard bars.

So how can we give people "free samples" of the Gospel?

9 comments:

Unknown said...

Sounds like a great idea...sort of sound like something Saint Paul would have grabbed on to...and then given away!
And the "Wright's Bar-B-Que Smoke" was to get that Bar-B-Que flavor inside without the grilling UMMMM-UGH!
Have a great Sunday!
Father Fred, cmf

Blanca said...

You're a great example of that;we who know you and read your blog, get to enrich our understanding of the Gospel. You could lead a life of a singing 'diva' if you were in the secular world and maybe a cloistered academic with your work in translating Italian, but instead we get to see your truly gifted and free spirit of sharing your thoughts and life happenings.
You bring a smile to my face as when we read the bible and see that St. Peter had a mother-in-law!
May your heart always be willing to share itself with us.Blessings

Anonymous said...

Father Fred, your disgust for the liquid smoke thing seems out of character for someone who can combine tabasco and ice cream in the same sentence. YUK,Moi

Ruth Ann Pilney said...

Free samples of the Gospel? Here are a few ideas: Say, "Thank you" as often as possible. Wear a smile. Pick up some litter and place it in a receptacle.

Unknown said...

Anonymous:
Liquid smoke is artificial flavoring (FAKE!) Get it? Tabasco is 100% natural, relatively salt free and the Mexican people have used sweet and hot for centuries...Check it out! Sr Anne's mother thinks I crazy, too!(wink)
Father Fred

Anonymous said...

Then there's "chinese" food with sweet and sour. By the way, I went to school with Sr. Anne's mother and she thinks you are a genius.

Unknown said...

Dear Anonymous:
Mighty high praise from Ms Winifred...because I think she is a remarkable woman! (unless you look at the picture on Sr. Anne's Blog of the family...what a sour face she has on there...needs a little Tabasco and Ice Cream to cheer her up!

Anonymous said...

The thank you and the smile I deal with on a regular basis. Picking up litter is something that I do in my home. Having a microbiologist in my family has made me queasy about other people,s
trash. Perhaps I will invest in a
Gopher stick.

Anonymous said...

Father Fred, that family picture was taken after I had just comsumed tabasco-flavored ice cream, and was in the process of grooming the hair of the child in front of me. Finis