When I began talking to people about Mama T's (this home for girls/bakery of my dreams), I had several people ask me: "are you going to sell pies, or mentor young women?" My answer: "both, of course!" Why couldn't it be both? In my mind it all worked together as one completely interconnected organism.
Working in the middle of a restaurant/training program has now made me ask: "are you going to run a successful restaurant, or train and mentor at risk youth?" This puzzle is harder to put together than I anticipated, reminding me of the times we all sat down on a snowy holiday, thinking we'd pass a bit of spare time by puzzling. Several days later, the many stray puzzle pieces mocking us from their random positions about the table, we are forced to admit that we underestimated the task at hand. Is the puzzle impossible? No, but it takes significantly more time and focus than we bargained for.
Is Old Skool Cafe the complete puzzle? I think it's close, and I think it would be even closer if not for the growing pains it needs to get past first. Is it impossible to have the complete puzzle that Old Skool and I strive for? No, I don't think so. But it's not easy, and I'm glad I can observe the points of friction where the dual goals collide and clash. Actually, observe is a bit too distant: I have been thrown into the middle of the operation, told to fit these two gears together, and to make the machine go.
It is important to allow your dream to be put to the test.... When you can question the perfection of your own vision is when you allow it the opportunity to be perfected.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
The Minnesota Glow
Yesterday, October 15th, marked my 1 month anniversary in San Francisco.
On previous October 15ths, Napoleon moved out to his island of exile and Abraham Lincoln received a letter that he would look better with a beard. I moved into a room with a door to the outside world (yes, there is a God!!), and was told by one of my students that my hair color was gold... Lifelong dream fulfilled.
This same student also remarked that I had a glow about me, the same glow he had seen in the only other Minnesotan he'd met. Something about that land of lakes must sink into our skin, and apparently takes more than a month to wear off. I'm hoping mine never does.
On previous October 15ths, Napoleon moved out to his island of exile and Abraham Lincoln received a letter that he would look better with a beard. I moved into a room with a door to the outside world (yes, there is a God!!), and was told by one of my students that my hair color was gold... Lifelong dream fulfilled.
This same student also remarked that I had a glow about me, the same glow he had seen in the only other Minnesotan he'd met. Something about that land of lakes must sink into our skin, and apparently takes more than a month to wear off. I'm hoping mine never does.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Sainthood
My new place of residence consists of a very small room in a basement. Thus, in order to retain my sanity, I conjure Mother Teresa and the many other saints in their tiny, sparse cells.
For the times this exercise fails me, I have acquired a second home (thanks to the hospitality of some neighbors). Often making friends takes a lot of "getting to know you" time, but sometimes friends are instantaneous. Matt and Leah are those rare "just add water" kind of friends, who take very little effort to make but taste like they're from scratch; like we've known each other for a long time. Currently they're out at work, and I am sitting at their kitchen table, my second home.
In addition, on Sunday I was adopted into a large, energetic black family. All I had to do was hang out with them for a few hours, feed them pie, and low and behold I was christened (with a wooden spoon, I believe) their newest family member. The ceremony was complete with a whole lot of whooping and laughing and hugging and dancing.... pretty sure I up and died and went off to heaven. You may now call me Saint Teresa.
For the times this exercise fails me, I have acquired a second home (thanks to the hospitality of some neighbors). Often making friends takes a lot of "getting to know you" time, but sometimes friends are instantaneous. Matt and Leah are those rare "just add water" kind of friends, who take very little effort to make but taste like they're from scratch; like we've known each other for a long time. Currently they're out at work, and I am sitting at their kitchen table, my second home.
In addition, on Sunday I was adopted into a large, energetic black family. All I had to do was hang out with them for a few hours, feed them pie, and low and behold I was christened (with a wooden spoon, I believe) their newest family member. The ceremony was complete with a whole lot of whooping and laughing and hugging and dancing.... pretty sure I up and died and went off to heaven. You may now call me Saint Teresa.
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