Fulfilling A Need

My wife's employer hosted a pool party on Sunday that was catered by an ex-NFL player, this individual also owned a restaurant in Creve Cour, Mo. Upon finding out I was a current student at Lecole, he informed me that one of our instructors received their start from him. This man was drafted straight from college to play for the St.Louis Cardinals and then went on to play for the Denver Broncos, what most people would consider the pinnacle of success, and yet this individual found something lacking in his career. His need to find that which made him happy, to find that place inside each of us that can be satisfied by the praise of others for making them happy. I find that the more culinary stories I hear, the more a recurring theme keeps presenting itself. The fact that one can be satisfied with what we do and produce as Chefs is a great thing, but the knowledge that we fulfill a need, that our skills are desired, that our work is appreciated and that praise is evident from the first bite fulfills a need in each of us, that what we do matters.

photo from Rockford Register Star