description
"Most people would rather be certain they're miserable, than risk being happy."
“
me: I am so bored today.
Patrick: blah! I’m sorry!
I just ate a sandwich and yogurt from Pret a Mange
me: Oh, that sounds good!
Patrick: it was. But, now I’m still a little hungry
I wanted to eat a hamburger sandwiched between two pizzas
me: Now that would have been a good lunch!
Patrick: yes. Unfortuately, I couldn’t find anyone to sell it to me.
And, a wanted a big brownie on top
me: We should fix this problem.
Patrick: yes
”— gChat conversation
“The older grey haired gentleman sitting next to me on the flight in his bespoke suit, hat and awesome aligator skin glass case and overall kicking style, when asked how he liked his coffee replied — “black, no sugar - the way a man drinks his coffee”
— From my friend John Deragon’s Facebook status
“I am somewhat better with words than my wife is; she is infinitely better with people. In different ways, we translate each other to the rest of the world, and admire each other’s contrasting language skills. Being married to someone you respect for being somehow better than you keeps affection alive. That this impressive person chooses you year after year makes you more pleased with yourself, fueling the kind of mutual self-esteem that can get you through decades.”
— A Joint Account That Underwrites Our Marriage
Modern Love, New York Times, December 13, 2009
http://bit.ly/6nGzOw
“
This pause in time, within time… When did I first experience the exquisite sense of surrender that is possible only with another person? The peace of mind one experiences on one’s own, one’s certainty of self in the serenity of solitude, are nothing in comparison to the release and openness and fluency one shares with another, in close companionship… When did I first feel so blissfully relaxed in a presence of a man?
Today is the first time.
”— The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
“People are crazyyyyyyyyyy. During recession instead of getting strong and creative there’s fear and loss of quality. The opposite of what it should be!! Basta!”
— From my friend Lorenzo Bringheli’s Facebook status
When you’re a child, the adults in your life seem to be on a never-ending quest to figure out what you’re good at. If you liked to bang on pots and pans as a toddler, perhaps you’re musically inclined. If you learned to read at an exceptionally young age, perhaps your focus should be on academics. And so it goes.
Once a predilection or a natural ability is identified, you are then encouraged to develop and nurture your gift. Many times, this is at the expense of other activities or interests. If you enjoy fooling around on the guitar, but show phenomenal promise on the basketball court, the guitar quickly gets relegated to being a mere hobby.
This seems natural. People like doing what they’re good at. It’s less work and more gain. It’s satisfying to win. It’s nice to be applauded.
As the years pass, the pressure to specialize and focus intensifies, especially when it’s time to figure out what you want to do for a living.
For many of us, we get to our 30’s and have no idea how we got here. Most likely it’s because we’ve been on auto-pilot for most of our lives, without even knowing it. At what point did people stop asking “What do you like to do?” And at what point did we stop asking that of ourselves?
Yesterday I wrote “It’s easy to do what you’re good at. It’s doing what you love that’s difficult.”
I’ve changed majors, transferred schools and changed jobs and industries countless times. All in an effort to find a career that I loved. But it was pointless because I wasn’t paying attention and admittedly, purposefully ignoring obvious clues. Sure, I asked myself “What would I love doing?” but that quickly became “What kind of job can I get given my job experience that I would possibly like and be ok with?” Not exactly compelling or inspiring.
So finally, I did what I should have done a long, long time ago—took a leap of faith, a pay cut and took a job that I think I might love. Here’s to hoping.
“It’s easy to do what you’re good at. It’s doing what you love that’s difficult.”
Men dressed in Peruvian costumes and masks. From the Hispanic Day Parade on October 11, NYC.
(From the September 2009 issue of Departures)
Le Verre Vole
Ramshackle chic might best describe my favorite lunch spot in Paris. Le Verre Volé (“the Stolen Glass”) is a bewitching cavern located near the leafy banks of the Canal St.-Martin. It features a half-dozen mismatched tables, walls lined with bottles (their prices—from $6 to $275—marked in chalk), a soundtrack that shifts from DJ Shadow to Thelonious Monk, and servers who joke with diners.
“I’ve always loved wine, but I can’t stand the snobbery that goes with it,” owner Cyril Bordarier says. “I got tired of selling wine I didn’t like to people I didn’t like. I wanted somewhere I could feel at home.” Bordarier prefers his ambiance casual, but his taste is nonetheless exacting. Le Verre Volé offers an extensive selection of natural and biodynamic wines and a concise blackboard menu of hearty but sophisticated dishes.
Recently I selected a Vosne-Romanée Les Hautes Maizières, one of Bordarier’s favorite Burgundies. Elegant and supple, it was perfect with my velvety veal carpaccio yet was robust enough for an entrée of spicy blood sausage. As he brought the cheese, I told Bordarier he’d make a fine sommelier. “Pas question!” he replied, joining me for a glass. “But you see, I’ve never really trusted sommeliers.”
$ Dinner, from $40 with wine. At 67 Rue de Lancry; 33-1/48-03-17-34; leverrevole.fr.
“Dude, you gotta control yourself. You can’t keep doing shots just because there is a pretty girl behind the bar.”
— Overheard on East 9th Street at 11:00pm
