I am about done with peanuts and eggs. it seems like as I travel those are the only available options. Yesterday I was fortunate enough to grab a Buddha Bowl from one of my favorite establishments in Richmond, VA. Interestingly it is one of my favorite places because the manager there makes this incredible oatmeal cream cookie that makes Little Debbie look like a straight up imposture that should be burned in effigy. At some point after my current sugar cleanse I fully intend on having a moderate amount of those cookies again.
All that being said, I am sitting in a Metro station in DC right now trying to get out of the city and head to the NOVA suburbs. Yesterday’s travels subjected me to delays similar to the plane adventure I had two days before. The only reliable form of transportation, it seems, are bikes and my own two feet. Given the speed of capitalism, I wish those two had a bit more to offer in terms of speed to destination.
If I am meant to I will make it to the ADAMS center later on to hear the friday prayer sermon. Although, right now that is feeling unlikely. I will take solace in the reminder that I got from the UberX cab driver that I just spoke with. 
To give the conversation some context you must know that last night I stayed with one of my wife’s best friends. His name is Paul Kim and he is a education policy professional that works for the federal government. He and I were talking about the Common Core curriculum. Thankfully he was giving me some context and a better understanding of the intentions of the Curriculum since I am not an expert on education policy.
He also has a background in international development and shared that in both contexts, domestically and internationally, one of the main determinants of a child’s education outcomes is the education level of the mother. Roughly, the better educated the mother the better the chid will be educated - regardless of the educational environment of the child. Okay, I can see that, and I am happy that I intentionally married a very smart woman who is well educated.
Ok, back to the cab driver. He was a muslim man from Guinea, West Africa. He has two daughters, ages eight and five and he talks to his mother every day. He asked me how I was doing and I said I was doing well, except for the fact that i was away from my sons. I told him it was bittersweet that I was able to wake up at 8a (which meant that I slept in) instead of 6a. He commented on the fact that it was good that I appreciated and liked my children and that he sometimes gets chided by his friends for being the same way. I related something that I was told when looking for a wife:
“Look for a woman who has a good relationship with her father” I was told. As a father of two daughters you could tell that comment resonated with my driver. He nodded. We talked about education and I shared about my newfound statistic about education of mother.
He then shared that his mother was “uneducated”.
“but she must have had some traditional education that she imparted upon you” I said.
And here it is: some traditional West African education (that also served as my friday reminder just in case I miss the friday khutba or sermon/message)
1. If you are very mad or if you are very happy - do not speak. Hold your tongue.
2. Do not promise anything. Stay silent and just do what it is you meant to promise you are going to do.
3. DON’T EAT TOO MUCH. and he specified that his mother used to counsel, DO NOT EAT TOO MUCH SUGAR, DO NOT EAT TOO MUCH SALT, EAT UNTIL JUST BEFORE YOU ARE FULL AND THEN STOP EATING. (this is the one relevant to my sugar cleanse)
All of the above aligns with the Prophetic example. The Prophets were simple, frugal, and non-gluttonous people. Miqdam bin Ma'dikarib said:
"I heard the Messenger of Allah (S.a.w) saying: 'The human does not fill any container that is worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat what will support his back. If this is not possible, then a third for food, a third for drink, and third for his breath.” (Sahih)
‘Nuff Said.
ps- i made friday prayer