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THE BURNT TOAST THEORY

When things don’t go your way…

Last February, I had a flight out of Sydney that was cancelled several minutes after we were asked to get ready for boarding. The airline management announced that their engineer couldn’t get the aircraft to operate.

We were the only passengers left in the terminal. The airport had literally closed for the day already. You probably don’t know this but Sydney International Airport has a curfew for flights. No aircraft is allowed to fly in and out between 11PM and 6AM.

We were asked to go through immigration again and then proceeded to collect our luggages. Afterwhich, we were given Uber vouchers so that we can all go home for the night.

Everyone started to be grumpy. Well, as expected.

But my first thought was “thank God they managed to identify the operational/technical issue of the aircraft before asking us to board and eventually take off.”

This is where the Burnt Toast Theory comes in. It suggests that when delays happen or when things don’t go as planned, it could actually be a blessing in disguise. Those major or minor life’s inconveniences might actually be protecting you from something.

Essentially, if you burn your toast in the morning (something challenging happens), the time you spend making another slice may have saved you from a car accident or something bad.

Or maybe it causes you to be late for a meeting, but as you stroll in, you cross paths with someone who will become incredibly meaningful in your life that you wouldn’t have met otherwise.

It’s kind of like the universe always has your back.

As what I always tell myself:

If you get what you want, that is God’s direction. If you do not get what you want, that is God’s protection. You may not understand His ways but you just have to trust His will.

So the next time things don’t go your way, always remember that you are being redirected to something better.

That’s a lovely way to view everything. It reminds me of a story from The Book of Virtues that I used to read to the kids.

In short, a long time ago, a great prince had a beautiful pet falcon. He travelled with it throughout the countryside. One day the prince stopped to rest at a lovely stream being fed by a beautiful waterfall. As the prince cupped some of the fresh crisp water to drink, the falcon, his treasured companion, swooped down and attacked his hands. This went on a few times and the prince concluded that his falcon had turned on him. He was so thirsty, that he proceeded to climb the adjoining hill to get a shot at the bird with his bow and arrow. He got to the top of the waterfall and immediately the bird flew near, and his first shot killed the bird. The prince then turned to drink from the upper pool, only to discover the remains of an animal in the water. This animal emitted a poison, and if the prince drank the water, he would have died on the spot. His dear falcon knew this and was saving him. Sadly, the prince found out too late.

That was from memory - lol it was much more eloquently written.

I got a burnt toast story. I worked in ICU and made some toast in the med room, It was a locked room with windows on both sides. Well, I got real busy all of a sudden so I left the room to go to my patients room. Problem was that the toaster didn't pop up, so you had to be there. About 5 minutes later, I heard fire engine sirens heading down the street. I walked out into the hall and there was a cloud of smoke in the med room. The firemen then burst in in full gear.

Boy did I get teased for that, so I ordered a very safe but expensive toaster, $400 about 20 years ago. That didn't go over too well either.

A grandson of slaves, a boy was born in a poor neighborhood of New Orleans known as the “Back of Town.” His father abandoned the family when the child was an infant. His mother became a prostitute and the boy and his sister had to live with their grandmother.

Early in life he proved to be gifted for music and with three other kids he sang in the streets of New Orleans. His first gains were coins that were thrown to them.
A Jewish family, Karnofsky, who had emigrated from Lithuania to the USA, had pity for the 7-year-old boy and brought him into their home. Initially giving ‘work’ in the house, to feed this hungry child. There he remained and slept in this Jewish family’s home where, for one of the first times in his life, he was treated with kindness and tenderness.

When he went to bed, Mrs. Karnovsky sang him a Russian lullaby that he would sing with her. Later, he learned to sing and play several Russian and Jewish songs. Over time, this boy became like an adopted son of this family.
The Karnofskys gave him money to buy his first musical instrument, as was the custom in the Jewish families. They sincerely admired his musical talent. Later, when he became a professional musician and composer, he used Jewish melodies in some of his compositions.

The young black boy grew up and wrote a book about this Jewish family who had adopted him in 1907. In memory of this family, and until the end of his life, he wore a Star of David and said that in this family he had learned “how to live real life and determination.”

You might recognize his name. This little boy was called Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong. Louis Armstrong proudly spoke fluent Yiddish and “Satchmo” is Yiddish for “big cheeks, a nickname some say was given to him by Mrs. Karnofsky!

I was listening to What a Wonderful World
Song by Louis Armstrong and wanted to share the story.
Credit: Owner

Simone Arianne Biles is a seven-time Olympic gold medal-winning artistic gymnast. She is tied for second in the number of Olympic medals won in the sport. She won three gold medals and one silver in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris. She is 27 years old (March 14, 1997) and was born in Columbus, Ohio.

Biles went in and out of foster care when she was very young. She was adopted by her maternal grandfather when she was a small child and grew up in the Houston area. She started in gymnastics when she was six years old. By the time she was a teenager, she was performing at an elite level.

In 2014, Biles decided to attend UCLA on a gymnastics scholarship. She deferred her attendance until after the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She ended up turning professional and never attended UCLA.

Biles was 19 when she arrived on the world stage at the Rio Olympic Games. She didn’t disappoint. She took the gold medal in the vault and floor exercise. She edged out American Aly Raisman to win the gold in the women’s artistic individual all-around. She teamed with Raisman, Madison Kocian, Laurie Hernandez, and Gabby Douglas to win the team gold medal. Biles also won a bronze medal in the balance beam. She was chosen to be the flag bearer for the United States in the closing ceremonies.

The 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics were held in the summer of 2021. Biles was posed for another round of gold medals. That wouldn’t happened. She struggled and ultimately withdrew from several events, citing mental health issues. She was criticized by some and praised by others for her decisions. She won a bronze medal in the balance beam and a silver medal in the team competition in Tokyo.

The world was watching closely when competition in the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris started last month. Biles wasn’t going to disappoint this time. She won the individual all-around as well as the vault. She teamed with Jade Carey, Hezly Rivera, Sunisa Lee, and Jordan Chiles to win the team gold medal. Biles also won a silver in the floor exercise.

Biles has won 11 Olympic medals, seven of them gold, tied for second most in the sport in both categories. Věra Čáslavská also won seven gold and 11 overall medals for then-Czechoslovakia in the 60s. Larisa Latynini won 18 medals, nine of them gold, representing the then-Soviet Union in the 50s and 60s.

Biles was a victim of convicted felon Dr. Larry Nassar in the USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal. The scandal was revealed in 2016 by an investigation by the Indianapolis Star. She and over 300 other victims were awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 2018. Nassar is expected to spend the rest of his life in prison for the crimes he committed.

Biles authored an autobiography, Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance, in 2017 with good to excellent reviews. It was later turned into a biopic. She competed in season 24 of the celebrity dancing show Dancing with the Stars, finishing in fourth place. She is a commercial spokesperson for several companies.

Biles has been married to professional football player Jonathan Owens (pictured 2023) for one year. He has played for the Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers and is expected to compete for the Chicago Bears this fall. They primarily live in Houston.