I admit, I watch a ton of cooking videos. I appreciate people who put ingredients together in a way that is different and exciting and tasty. I follow many YouTube channels featuring cooking from around the world. I even enjoyed Andrew Zimmern’s TV show, Bizarre Foods, as he traveled the world featuring various regional and cultural diets. He has eaten some outrageous fare such as goat eyeball and yak penis. I can’t do it, but I guess that’s why he has a TV show and I don’t.
I even enjoy watching videos of bread. NO, not the 1970’s soft rock band, ha. I’m talking about that yummy, grain-based delight we build into sandwiches or dip into sauces. For fun, search YouTube for “Tasteless Baker.” He’s an Aussie baker with a penchant for baking classic breads. His use of select flours and even more select swear words is comical and entertaining.
My wife makes simple homemade bread. Because our diet was quite restricted, she needed to keep ingredients to a minimum. Flour, salt, yeast, water. Tasteless Baker, however, makes some very complicated and intricate breads. Butter, milk, flour, sugar, honey, yogurt, cream, yeast, salt and much more can be seen added to his delicious looking recipes.
I would love to start making sourdough bread, but it seems complicated. I’ve seen entries on Facebook groups where someone will show a pic of their weird science experiment attempt and ask where they made their mistake. I’m not home long enough to spend the time to learn from scratch, although I would love to try.
One thing that struck me about watching bread videos is that it needs to set a while. That’s right. Bread needs to sit motionless for a long time to grow.
Now, you know me, I can’t look at anything without making something out of it.
So, pull up your waders, we’re gonna get deep.
I hear so many people talking about grind.
“Gotta get up at the crack of dawn and grind.”
“Get that daily grind on.”
“Never stop working toward your goal.”
Yeah, I’ve said it too.
Grinding is good, but slapping a few ingredients together and slamming the ball into the oven often doesn’t make very good bread.
Great bread is made when we add the right ingredients, in the correct amounts, combined to just the right point, and then set aside to sit a while. During its rest, it grows. When it has grown, you punch it down, collapsing the risen mound. Then the loaf must be pulled from its comfy bowl, roughed up quite a bit, and thrown back into its bowl so it can grow some more. Sometimes, the dough needs to be smashed down a second time and returned to its bowl for another time-out. Normally, though, it is removed from its place of comfort, smashed again, and placed in a hot oven to endure the heat before we change its name from dough to bread.
If you desire noodles, breadsticks, biscuits, or cookies, the dough must be rolled thin with a heavy roller. It’s cut into smaller pieces using metal tools. The remainder is beaten and rolled a second time before being cut as before.
Are we any different?
We set our sights on a goal, dream, or vision. We want to become a better version of ourselves. We precisely blend the exact combination of determination, discipline, sweat, tears, habit, frustration, work, failure, and talent until an advancement is achieved. But then we need to rest, or we will become emotionally depleted, spiritually exasperated, and physically exhausted.
We rest, so we can grow.
Along our journey we are beaten down, folded, pulled apart, smashed, and put in our place. We rest and grow but are beaten down yet again. We are formed, and then must endure the heat to mature.
Finally, we arrive. We are complete. We are golden and beautiful. We have changed. We once were raw and novice. Now we are seasoned and experienced.
This wouldn’t have happened had we not endured some hardship.
But it also wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t taken time to rest.
We can push, we can grow, we can achieve and fail. But we must also rest. We must take a moment to put our feet up, have a scotch and a stogie, and enjoy some quite time with family and friends.
It is in rest that we grow. We rest so we can get back to grinding, refreshed and rejuvenated.
Just don’t make resting your habit for life.
If you’ve been grinding, take a break and get a fresh look at things. If you’ve been resting, time to get back at it. If you’ve been sitting on your ass up to this point, fucking do something.
Honestly, a sandwich sounds pretty good right now.
And maybe a scotch.
Weeg
Joe “Weeg” Weigant is a Licensed Massage Therapist, Holistic Health Practitioner, Herbalist, Metaphysician, and Empowerment Coach. He combines bodywork, energy work, and coaching to improve quality of life by healing from the outside in and from the inside out.
Weeg sells Nature’s Sunshine Products, Pure Herbs Ltd., doTERRA, and Juice Plus+. Weeg suggests lifestyle changes and provides herbal remedies to his clients so they may build new habits for long life and vibrant health. He teaches Karate and Tai Chi, Reiki Certification, as well as seminars and workshops in metaphysical and spiritual matters. Weeg is available for sessions at Tri State Holistic Wellness by appointment only.
Contact by text 812.568.5356, or Facebook Messenger to set an appointment.