Find your passion during times of upheaval.
So I'm guessing a lot of you folks are either working from home, taking care of the kids, or simply hanging out in your daytime pajamas (there is no lassitude in the middle of a pandemic!) Me, for the first time in my life I have been deemed a valuable member of society, worthy of special designation, and a person whose skill and expertise is needed in these trying times. No, not for making knives, that may come in handy later if things go totally haywire, but rather I have been classified as an essential worker for my part time gig as a butcher. I guess knife skills are knife skills whether you need them for the impending apocalypse or simply boning out a rib roast.
“It feels good to experiment and fill the hours with something other than Netflix.”
As we all struggle to fill our new found hours of home internment, I have put my butchering skills to use. With a freezer full of wild game, I have focused my attention on the seldom used parts that don't regularly make the cooking shows; goose legs, venison shanks, neck meat, and other random parts. From those I have made a remarkably flavorful goose leg chili, a somewhat adequate roast venison shank, and an absolutely wonderful Korean-inspired venison taco from the neck meat. It feels good to experiment and fill the hours with something other than Netflix.
I guess my message is to look for opportunities to stretch yourself and indulge your passions. Get to work on that novel, learn to play the guitar, study a language, bake some bread, walk the dog and dream of what you will become once this is over. But get busy.
Most importantly, wash your damn hands and stay safe everyone!
