This past week I’ve had the same discussion with several family members and friends prompted by a little adventure I’ve been involved with for almost a month now.
That discussion has focused on a simple question – when is it too late in life to invest a meaningful allotment of time and effort to learn something new?
The Quick Backstory with a Cajun Twist
I’ve made it no secret here on the Older Bolder Life that I love to create and cook good food; our entire family appreciates good food, possesses above average skills in the kitchen, and enjoy tastes that range pretty far off the beaten path of the typical American palate.
At various times during my medical career, most often at the urging of friends or family, we came close to venturing down the rabbit hole of opening a food pop-up or even a restaurant, though never really dug into the details.
My son and I even ran a catering operation out of our home at one point, at the same time we ran a large equestrian event center and boarding/training facility, cooking for large groups and serving good (most often simple) food in a ranch or even a rodeo type setting. (Our daughter-in-law is particularly supportive of the two of us teaming up for a food related venture at some point in the future.)
Several months ago I got wind of a new eatery opening in our little town north of the DFW metro; it’s being chartered by one of if not the most creative and innovative restaurant group in the region (which is actually saying something these days), and they’ve found a gifted, formally trained, Louisiana-born and raised chef to lead the team.
So About that Learn Something New Angle…
Taking the opportunity to nose around the new project a bit, I decided to take a bit of a gamble and join the growing team in the kitchen, to work all phases of the kitchen, and even taking a deep immersion on front end management as well. Timing was perfect as I’m more or less between a couple of bigger projects in my other work, and the restaurant is quite literally a a few blocks from our home out here in the sticks.
It can be a bit unsettling to step into a new world where everything is new and different than what you’re used to, but that adventure can also be incredibly stimulating and inspiring.
I’m a bit of an oddity of course given my background and work history, though I have to admit I’ve had more fun over the past month that I’ve had in a long time. There’s an amazing amount of new information to learn, and there have been more ‘aha moments’ that I can recount after peeking behind the curtain at larger scale food preparation and management.
When Is It Too Late in Life to Learn Something New?
I’ll forever fall into the “it’s never too late camp” to learn new things; new learning is good for the human brain and psyche on a number of levels, as is rubbing shoulders with new people soon to be friends along the way. The restaurant labor pool tends (of course) to skew younger; I’ve been amazed at how curious and welcoming they’ve been to someone with a few more ‘rings on the tree’.
We’ll talk a little more about this adventure in two to three months…
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