Nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in idyllic Crozet, in the Orchard Acres subdivision, in a backyard of a Mid Century Modern rancher on Peach Tree Drive, is this postage stamp of workspace.
Working out of this cubbyhole is ridiculous but it's what I've got for now and I am grateful that I get to call it mine. Its limitations present plenty of obstacles that get in the way, but sometimes, The Obstacle Is The Way.
Broken and discouraged after five tours of duty on the professional kitchen front lines, I finally took the hint and extricated myself from what I thought was supposed to be my life's calling. Seems the universe had other plans and presented to me a lighthouse in the form of Matthew B. Crawford's bestselling book, Shop Class as Soulcraft : An Inquiry into The Value Of Work.
True to form, before the dust even had time to settle, I fell headlong into this philosophical exploration, left the restaurant scene, and fancied myself a craftsman. Even got me my own BMW airhead motorcycle. More on that in a future post.
I won't wax lyrical about how the stoic philosophers fits into all this but suffice it to say, they may have been the original YOLO'ers, with their admonishment "memento mori". A refrain which, during the pandemic, helped turn all my "someday..."s into "today". Amidst despair, it helped me pick myself up, dust myself off and keep going.
It's fair to say that it wasn't so far of a stretch though, that there are parallels between the world I'd just left and the one I'd just entered.
The ethos behind slow food and handicraft run in tandem, prioritizing quality and craftsmanship over quantity and speed. Both often involve a personal connection between the artisan or cook and the materials or ingredients they are working with promoting a more mindful and intentional approach to sustainable production and ethical consumption.
While I may have left the restaurant scene, I'm still getting my hands dirty while standing on my feet all day and designing around food. And still wearing an apron.
My Earnest Squire apron has a nice detail reminding me to Take Pride. I do.
