My current quest is beer.
My last quest was buddhism, and it lasted quite awhile. (Previous quests included: fitness, Jack Kerouac, taoism, hockey, journalism, jazz, wine, crime novels...) I drank up as much of it as I could.
At first, as with all my quests, I thought I was headed to an endpoint. I would become a Buddhist! After awhile (as always), it dawned on me. The destination was irrelevant. By the end, I realized there WAS no end. I was in possession of knowledge, and my life was irreversibly changed. I'd carry what I learned with me forever. It's now a part of me and who I am.
I know what you're saying: "brother, you're so deep. But, where does beer fit into this?"
It's true, most of my quests are meant to some way improve me and my life. Reduced anxiety, better health, beautiful muscles. But beer = beer belly, right?
Beer fits into it by forcing me to sit down for at least 15 minutes after work, and after the baby has gone to bed, and paying attention to what I'm doing. It forces me to be mindful, to sit in my backyard and to watch the birds, and to connect with my wife, and to just be. It forces me to savour the moment. That beer is golden.
I pour it, watch the head form. Hold the glass up to the light and note the colour. I smell it, then taste it.
I also imagine, some day in the future, that I may tackle brewing my own beer. And that seems like a very fun, and relaxing, thing to do.
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