Scenic View

I remember camping trips with my dad, traveling Northern Ontarian highways for hours or days to get to our destination in the middle of nowhere at lake such-and-such. At the time, I was always interested in the destination and getting there as soon as possible and never truly appreciated the "scenic view" stops along the way to stretch our legs.

When not hectic, life has at least been busy the past few months... and I miss the scenic views. All too often it feels as though I'm racing toward a destination - prepping for the next big cater-out or lunch-rush. I look back on the day after I've fed all the pets, taken out the recycling, and the kids are slumbering... I love the journey I'm on.... briefly. Then I pass out.

When I look back on it every night; I enjoy being a chef more than anything, creating food that bring joy and health to those that consume it - serving in a very fundamental and base level. More than that, since I have a big ego, I love being the rock-star chef I've become. I love getting press and hearing the praises from the soup-fans. It's all very awesome.

But.

In the moment - 20 minutes before the lunch rush pours in and I have to finish the soups, cut the fresh baked focaccia, pull the pork, deal with the fact that we're out of coffee lids, and also discover that one of the steam table inserts blew an element... it all just makes me want to smoke cigarettes and drink vast amounts of taurine.

It's kind of like I've been (or my generation has been, perhaps) conditioned to rush toward the destination to such an extent that I/we don't know how to stop and stretch our legs and enjoy a scenic view along the way - doubly so if you work in the food industry. And it's not just the work of being a chef but the trials and tribulations of being the father of three and a husband of one very awesome lady...

Life is immense. So large, in fact that it becomes all too easy to lose oneself in it and not enjoy the beauty seen in the larger picture. Too easy to drive past that scenic view.

This very blog, for example, is like a scenic view for me. It forces me to stop and reflect and rest, and yet I haven't written on it since September. I've been so busy rushing, that I only take about 2 minutes to reflect and enjoy life before passing out each night.

I'm going to stop doing that.

Somehow.

Carmi at Written Inc wrote a post about journeys which inspired the above ramblings.... you owe me an hour of sleep Carmi. ;-)