Passion

People need passion in their lives or they are not really living. We can be passionate about a person, a cause, an avocation, even our job. It is possible to be passionate about several things, and I have even known some who are passionate about life in general – that type of person is to be envied.

This devotion gives us purpose without which we are empty shells, just plodding along until whatever end comes, so it is important to find some higher purpose. The object of this focused energy can change over time as well, even vanish whether because of loss of interest or outside influeneces. There is also a dark side to passion when people become passionate about destructive or harmful things, such as the “one true god syndrome” where anyone believing anything else must be eliminated. That being said the most enjoyable part of this enthusiasm is sharing it with others, trying to ignite their interest, bring them along for the ride so they can feel the same excitement.

I am passionate about several things, my wife, huskies, and food. Lucky for me my other two passions enjoy the spin-off from my fascination with food – they dovetail nicely. I have always been a nuts and bolts kind of guy, I like to see how things work and try to replicate it myself so my actual interest in the techniques, the chemistry, and history behind different foods. What a particular people eat, how they prepare it, how they eat it, and why they eat the food they do can tell you a lot about a particular culture. I have tried to bring the wisdom of those other cultures into my cooking, and am eager to see and try more. This desire to explore further goes a long way in keeping the passion alive as does the favorable reviews from my other two passions.

So what are you passionate about??