A Preamble
Years ago I watched the movie Julie & Julia. It’s the story of how Julie Powell, an aspiring writer & “foodie by night” turned her love of cooking into a blog, which was subsequently made into a movie. She set a goal that over the course of exactly one year she would cook every single recipe from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Her motivation was two-fold: first, she really did love to cook, but more importantly, she wanted and needed to set a goal, and what iconic chef and cookbook could set the bar so high?
Since then, I have watched “Julie & Julia” many times possibly because I too have been searching for a nugget of inspiration…inspiration to do what I’m about to do now…write a blog.
So what has held me back? This brings me to another movie that actually helped me to clarify and face the answer to that question. In a scene from the movie Patsy & Loretta, Patsy Cline is attempting to ascertain why Loretta Lynn is hesitant to spread her wings and share her musical talent. Loretta simply says, “Who would want to listen to me? I’m a simple nobody from nowhere.”
Therein lies the heart of my hesitation, even though I have been a teacher, college professor, researcher and author of several books for the span of my professional life.
With that said, like Julie and Loretta, I have friends and family that have encouraged me to share my knowledge based on what I’ve learned over the course of many years (and because they’re tired of being my ‘cornered’ audience). My message? Understanding how and why people are fat and sick, while our pharmaceutical and processed food industries get rich at the expense of our health - and more importantly, what we can do about it!
As I look back on my life so far, I realize that I’ve been working toward one simple goal: optimal health. Similar to a deck of playing cards, I’ve been attempting to out-maneuver the ugly side of aging while attempting to live it as healthy and happy and gracefully as possible by learning whatever I can, wherever I can.
Finally, in another parody from Under the Tuscan Sun, Katherine, who just before passing out after attempting to drink a magnum of champagne “to put you right” looks to Frances who is distraught over a failed relationship says something to the effect of, “You have to live spherically in many directions. Never lose your childish enthusiasm – and good things will come your way.”
So…. through the lens of living spherically in multiple directions – this blog will offer a compilation or a “player’s guide” if you will, for stacking the deck of life for you, by attempting to encourage an attitude of optimism, gratitude and curiosity – including observations, life experiences, science and explorations with regard to the optimal food we need to flourish!