If the health of a city could be measured by the availability and variety of its ice cream, then Colorado Springs is thriving like few other locales.

The opening last week of Josh & John’s first drive-thru shop at 870 West Garden of the Gods Road adds yet another option for enthusiasts of the frozen treat. With three other locations here in town, John Krakauer’s forty-year enterprise enters a new season of expansion.

The Boston native launched the business back in 1986 with his high school buddy, Josh Paris. Krakauer isn’t just the quintessential entrepreneur, but also a man in a constant quest to better both himself and his company.

“Our philosophy has always been, ‘If it’s not broken, you’re just not looking hard enough,’” he recently said. “What we do is continually try to improve what it is that we do.”

What Josh and John’s does well is make delicious ice cream – handcrafted, signature flavors full of natural ingredients, some with a wink to where we live, including “Purple Mountain Majesty” and “Moose on the Loose.”

There’s no record of Katharine Lee Bates, who was inspired to write “America the Beautiful” after going up Pikes Peak, having loved ice cream. But if Bates was wise enough to see such an enduring song in such a magnificent sight, she would have been smart enough to recognize the genius of purple ice cream featuring a creamy taro root base mixed with chocolate-covered raspberry cups and a black raspberry swirl.

Besides Josh & John’s, other favorite longstanding ice cream shops in Colorado Springs include BJ’s Velvet Freeze (circa 1954), Tasty Freeze (1955), the Colorado City Creamery (1986), and Rizuto’s (2005). They’re all good, though most of us would say some are better than others and one is better than the rest.

We have European settlers to thank for bringing ice cream to America. Thomas Jefferson was a big fan of America’s independence, but he was also one of ice cream’s earliest and most enthusiastic boosters. Bringing back a recipe for vanilla ice cream from France, he enjoyed serving it for dessert at the White House, sometimes tucking it inside warm pastries.

President Donald Trump has enraged critics with his plans to build a ballroom at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Yet he wasn’t the first to put up a new structure on the property. The author of the Declaration of Independence constructed an ice house beside the executive mansion to serve guests (and himself) what was considered an extravagant delicacy back in the early 1800s.

The rise of ice cream’s popularity correlates with mankind’s ingenuity and productivity. The explosion of commercial ice harvesting coupled with the establishment of the railroad in the middle of the 1800s, along with mechanical refrigeration towards its end, made it all possible. Ice cream doesn’t just happen. Making it well requires many people. Everything affects everything else.

When you’re enjoying an ice cream, it’s easy to forget all that had to happen, even centuries earlier, in order for that scoop (or two) to make it onto the cone. That’s one of the most destructive aspects of burdening businesses with high taxes and excessive government regulation. It discourages entrepreneurs like John Krakauer and Chip and Toni Rizuto from improving and expanding their ice cream enterprises.

Krakauer’s commitment to constantly improving and innovating at Josh and John’s is a good reminder to take stock of our own lives and do the same. Might you make something good even better? Or are you stuck in a rut, enslaved to a monotonous routine, or even worse, a destructive addiction?

General Dwight Eisenhower gave himself an order in 1949 to quit smoking. One of the most decorated and successful generals had conquered the Nazis, but had been struggling to conquer himself and kick his four-pack-a-day habit. He finally did – and would go on to serve two terms as president.

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel is a physician and author of a new book, “Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life.” His suggestions are conventional: don’t smoke, stay active, get your check-ups, and nurture strong personal relationships. He also says we should eat well and maintain a healthy weight – but not deprive ourselves, noting we often eat ice cream with people we love.

“We’re here for only 75, 85, 90 years,” he states. “You’ve got to make life enjoyable. You’ve got to make it fulfilling.”

So, there you have it – permission from a doctor: eat your ice cream!

Paul J. Batura is a local writer and founder of the 4:8 Media Network. He can be reached via email Paul@PaulBatura.com or on X @PaulBatura.