I was talking to my friend Colleen tonight and she is starting a book club. She and her friends are starting it for the same reason why I am writing this tonight. I want to do something, have a hobby outside of my place of work (not that I don't love it, cause I do!) But I want something with some purpose outside of the gym. She started a book club...I...?
I didn't know what my 'blog' was going to be when I started it. I have wrote a few times, not really knowing why I was doing it or where it was going. The last few weeks I have been really asking myself, what am I doing. I have become incredibly busy with work (not complaining) but since I work at a gym and attempt to be fit myself, it seems as if my life revolves around the gym. For months now it seems as my mind is always consumed with sleep, training, programming, diet, knowledge, etc. Why? I enjoy talking and learning about all those things but there is more to life. Yes people there is more to life than a 2 minute fran time. I have been described as sardonic, ironic, and flat out ridiculous by some (cough*Ben Green*) on the topic of me working in a crossfit gym and mocking crossfit competitions. That topic is for another day, however I do love the gym I work for and I understand the idea of competitions but too many people, I feel, take it too far and think it is life or death. The way that a specific person buys certain clothes, groceries, or acts a certain way to better them self to workout better is just a little much for me. One day I might buy into it, but maybe not.
I love simple things. I love simple food, cooked right. I love simple music, again done right. I love simple words put together to tell a story or give insight on anything. For simple things to be done right, I feel, the person doing them has to be passionate about whatever they are working with. To me, no better person better exemplifies attitude, passion, knowledge, humility, and entertainment than Anthony Bourdain. I started watching his show when it aired years ago and have been hooked with anything that he does. He could be labeled as a 'bad boy' chef, however he has changed a bit over the years. He writes and talks about specific meals and drinks that are for him, heaven. Not fancy meals with different courses, sauces, and what not. Corned beef and hash, but not hash from a can. Corned beef cooked right with the right spices and the right amount of human attention and love.
His tv shows and books are about obviously food. But they are much more than that. It is about the people involved in it, the history of it, the culture of it, and simplicity of it all. More often than not these things are forgotten or done wrong. A glass of wine with bread and cheese is not a glass of wine with bread and cheese. A bottle made in small batches with care and love, not mass produced. Bread with only 5 ingredients rather than 20, baked with a close eye, not in a factory. The cheese! The cheese should have no ingredients that we can't pronounce. Some might think that is weird but why do we buy food that have ingredients in it that we do not know where they come from or what they are, or more importantly, do to our body? A few hours with friends/loved ones with a small simple meal is a memory, laughs, culture, history. It is anything yo make of it and we as Americans I feel are always 'on the go' and never slow down to enjoy the hour, the day, the lunch with a friend.
Bourdain loves the French. He says he loves the French because they do everything simple, and most importantly they do it correctly. Food and pleasure to them is life. When they are eating they are talking about food/drink, when they wake up they are talking about food/drink and when they are in the garden picking fresh produce they are talking about how this will work into their evening meal. I believe it is not just the French they can have this. The Italians, how simple is tomato's and pasta? Or rice under a piece of fish (Japanese) These things are incredibly simple but such a thing of beauty.
So to the question of what am I doing, I have been thinking I need to find a hobby, a group, or something that I enjoy outside of anything relating to a gym/fitness. I do not want to write a blog about my workouts or something like that. Two reasons, one because I think no one cares about my training log and two, because I want my mind to not think about that at all. The gym can come and go, but what truly do I enjoy 24/7. I love beer and food. I am sure most of you that read this went 'who doesnt'? I was accepted into a graduate program for history where I had to write a paper with a proposed thesis. Mine was the history of beer. I love beers history, but more importantly I love its future. The best beers have not been made yet, and if when I say beer you think of coors miller or bud, this is not for you. Beers that are hand crafted, with almost a cult like aura. Food that is so good you are willing to pay pretty much anything to eat. Again, these things can be simple but have to be done with passion.
