Outgrowing the Past...

I was cooking dinner tonight (shrimp and basil curry-serious yums) and having a conversation with an old friend. As in 30 years o'friendship. And as can be be expected, we starting cranking up some of the equally old stories from the past. Laughter ensued yet it was almost forced, like we were laughing out of habit's sake. Afterwards I let that marinate in my mind over a glass of vinho verde. And not sadly, I came to the conclusion I had simply outgrown my past.

When I started Signature Tastes almost 10 years ago, I was firefighter literally living in a fire station. To quote Chief Croker, FDNY, "I have no ambition in this world but one, and that is to be a firefighter..". That was me. Even after some initial successes in publishing, I still was shilling that same story, that same dream.

Fast forward to now. I can't remember when I last bunked out (not that I want to, that gear reeks to high heaven). I did cook breakfast for B shift a few months back, but I was either the elder statesman or worse, the outsider...most likely the latter. And that's okay. We grow. And our story, the basis of our narrative changes. I hope to all that is holy that I've done someone memorable since that time; I have, but I'm not in a bragging mood.

Right now, my mind is starting to slowly, perceptibly beginning to focus and be consumed by an idea that started 10 years ago. But instead of tugging on the heart strings with a story of a firefighter who cooks, I am now a best-selling, James Beard-owning author and publisher. Who has outgrown his past. Stay tuned for the big reveal...