How Pancakes Became Meanders

Follow the Meander began as a book about Pancakes and Zen and Creativity. It emerged from “Tuesdays with Morrie” types of meetings I had with Zen Master, Michael Elliston, each Friday AM at the Original House of Pancakes on Cheshire Bridge Road and Lavista in Atlanta. The difference between Elliston and Morrie being…Elliston was still healthy and still my teacher and the syrup selection was better than what Morrie had, I believe. Plus, I’m not Mitch Albom. (I refer you again to the URL of this site if you remain confused about that) Anyway, Elliston often quoted Buckminster Fuller - who he considered to have been a mentor - so I figured I ought to finally read something about the famous inventor. Unable to find “Bucky Fuller for Dummies,” I figured I’d pick up the most recent biography of the man. I was surprised to find that it was written by an old friend, Jonathon Keats. Keats and I connected 15+ years prior over my first book, The Last Folk Hero. I didn’t just read Keats’ book, You Belong to the Universe, I reconnected with him. He lives in San Francisco and Lake Maggiore, Italy (where his wife lives - 1000s of miles apart = secret to good marriage, perhaps?) but was spending time in Asheville, NC - just a few hours up the road from ATL. We visited. He discussed meanders. Original Pancake moved beyond flapjacks in ATL to Elliston, Keats, and Fuller and their meandering intersections with each other, with ideas, with creating truly original lives.