A couple of weeks ago, I was scheduled to go on a last minute trip to Jamaica to take care of some family business. While telling a friend about the upcoming trip, I asked innocently, "While I'm down there, is there anything that you would like for me to pick up for you?" "Hmm, if you could get me some june plum juice, THAT would be great," my friend responded. Haven't had any since I was in Jamaica in 2008, and would love to get some. "Right-O," I said, and made a mental note.
Well, long story short, I didn't end up going to Jamaica after all. Was on my way down, and while at my cousin's house in Fort Lauderdale during my overnight layover, decided I would rather spend my vacation time there, than in May Pen, Jamaica. (All of my Jamaican bredrin out there can probably guess why.) So I texted my friend and told him that since the trip was a no-go, he would not be receiving his june plum juice.
I ended spending a week in Florida. Had a great time. Rented a car, which gave me flexibility to visit with friends and family all over the region. One day, I picked up an old college friend, and we went exploring. On the way home, we stopped by one of those ubiquitous Jamaican shops to grab something quick to eat. I glanced in the fridge as we were ordering, and to my surprise, saw a bottle of june plum juice. Hurrah, I thought. It may not be the homemade stuff, but it's definitely better than nothing. I quickly grabbed a bottle of june plum juice for him, and a bottle of soursoup juice for myself. I considered buying extra bottles, so that I would have backup, but instead said to myself, I'm sure this is not the only Jamaican store that carries soursop or june plum juice. Instead of buying an armload now, I told myself, which I'll then have to cart home, I'll just try to pick up a few more at a local store before I get back on my plane.
Well, I kept bustling around, and before I knew it, my little vacation was ending, and I was hustling to get back on my plane sans a restocked supply of june plum, or soursop juice. On the last day of my trip I stopped by a few Jamaican shops in Fort Lauderdale, and asked if they could direct me to a store that sold bottled june plum juice, and was met by blank stares. So, the morale of my story is, a bottle of june plum juice is the hand is better than two bottles sitting on a shelf somewhere in some random Jamaican shop in Fort Lauderdale, while you desperately try to get to the airport on time. But you know what's even better? Two bottles in the hand. But why stop there? Grab a bag. Cuz I'm pretty sure you'll be hard pressed to find it any in Detroit, Michigan.
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Seriously, folks. the real morale of this story, is Enjoy Life. There are enough hard times, that we need to savor the good times to help us through the bad ones. Take advantage of the blessings that life brings you. And if you happen to glance over, and you see a bottle of june plum juice sitting on a shelf, like it's been waiting patiently just for you, grab it. And grab another. Cuz you never know when you'll see one again.
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