THOUGHTS ON THIS AND THAT
HARDWIRED
I have a friend who, no matter what the recipe for a salad calls for, always includes– “add cranberries, walnuts and balsamic vinegar” – always!
The grandmother of an acquaintance began instructions for every recipe with "First you peel an onion".
Like both of them, occasionally we all do that…no matter what it is that we are pondering, a hardwired element within us finds its way into the process– its like an encoded element that we weave into the fabric of virtually anything.
Note: the standard ratio of vinegar to oil in a dressing is 1:3 or 1:4 but my friend goes with 1:1 …it’s just who she is.
I love her anyway.
SCARS
Scars
Wear yours proudly.
Working in our kitchens, homecooks and professionals alike regularly find themselves on the receiving end of battle wounds…burns, cuts, and scrapes - consequences of grabbing things one shouldn’t…all part of the multitasking, continuous flurry of activity that is part of transforming food.
I sometimes think that that is why so many of those who choose food services as a career, sport extensive tattoos…the covering up of moments of inattentiveness or just plain accidents.
It’s unavoidable – the scars, that is, not the tattoos.
If you find yourself at a food counter at your local market waiting to be served, check out the other people who are there…the scarred are easy to pick out…for them, food is not a whim…it is a joy, a passion... as necessary as breathing. The serving staff take a bit longer serving them, exchanging food talk accompanied with much nodding…unspoken camaraderie.
You see it in restaurants too…neighbourhood haunts as well as upscale once-in-awhile-splurge places. Waitstaff spot the scars (they’re more unique than the everyday-just -living life kind of scars) and the brotherhood/sisterhood bond is made.
In the business world, we end up with scars too…from things that didn’t go the way they should, or not well at all…sometimes things go very well, but the scars of getting there tend to add up. They come from taking chances, standing up for something, changing the way things are, being out of the box.
Wear your scars proudly…it’s part of being who you are and of fighting the good fight. Those who have them, recognize them in others. Just like in the food nation, those scars belong to those who “do”.
Through our scars, we become better… better in our careers, in running and growing our businesses and in living our lives.
Scars from battles won and lost, principles defended, wisdom gained.
The marks that show we try, that we try hard, and that we keep on coming.
Wear your scars proudly... you earned them.
Merit Badges
We all have scars...this is about the ones we pick up learning, growing, achieving.