Food, Music, Home and Acceptance

I have an obsession with two things - food and music. When I’m dead and gone my life’s work will have been dedicated to the incredibly visceral combination of the two. This is the kind of thing where level of intelligence is absolutely moot. It’s about that deep inward feeling that consumes us when we’re experiencing it. They are truly original forms of therapy. The heart is made up of four chambers and I’m apt to say that music and food are two of them.

Every Sunday, a tiny “Rustic American Eatery & Bakery” known as Salt of the Earth hosts incredibly talented guests for their music series. This restaurant is located in Fennville, MI which has an approximate population of only 1,400 people. You could miss driving through it if you sneezed and you certainly would regret it. This tiny town is the buckle to West Michigan’s agricultural belt. To quote their website, “Salt of the Earth celebrates the bounty of the Michigan farm, beverage, and roots music community.”. They actually partner with farmers, growers, brewers and distillers within a fifty-mile radius to provide a long forgotten quality of freshness in today’s food and it’s perfect partner-in-crime... music.

Last night we experienced, local to West Michigan indie-folk sensation, The Crane Wives for an unexpected feeling of euphoria (at seemingly the world’s best venue). They usually play to much larger crowds, but Salt of the Earth is a very special place. Their genre is outside of my go-to-music, however their enthusiastic passion still invoked something in me. They introduced The Diving Bell as their only “happy” song and then laughed because it starts off by referencing drowning. Their metaphors were raw and perfect as if they were lovingly ripened and picked from the garden of life.

I don’t mean to misquote one of their singers, but she said something to which I directly related. I wish I had it recorded, but I believe it was along these lines, “These songs are from our own personal experiences and anxieties. We interpret our emotions through our music. And that’s hard to do when you’re happy because when you’re happy...you know...you’re distracted.”. I’m telling you a huge gong crashed in my brain after she said that and life made just a little bit more sense right then.

Here we were in this perfect sized room with probably less than seventy-five people. On the table sat a bottle of Bordeaux, handmade aged cheddar pierogies with buttered red cabbage, a sweet-smoky wood-fired pizza and the best damn s’more on the planet. The timelessly enchanting melodies of The Crane Wives brought the whole experience full circle, making our toes tingle. Our server said they were “just the cutest band in the whole world”. She may have been right, but they reminded me more of a wolf-pack howling at the moon in perfect three-part harmony. Maybe a cute wolf-pack, though.

The Crane Wives @ Salt of the Earth - 10/26/14 - (photo credit: ShantsBySchantz)

The truth is our food came from the surrounding fields and our music came from our neighbors. This was more than the essence of Americana. This was more than a campaign known as Pure Michigan. This was more than West Michigan, even. This was the pioneering spirit of our home and all of us there accepted that we were a part of it together. Which reminds me, those other two chambers of our heart are exactly that - home and acceptance. Damn, that was delicious.

Scotty J ~ "If we can focus on living and loving locally, we can lead by example globally."

Check ‘em out here on the web...

http://thecranewives.com/

http://www.saltoftheearthfennville.com/index.htm

...and find your way to ‘em in person!!

Saving Scotty Jacobs - An Honest Update

   Last Friday, I wrote and completed an entire post titled Saving Scotty Jacobs - Humble Pie. After I proof-read it a couple of times through, I hated everything about it. My heart was in the right place while I was writing it, but the title Eat My Righteous Shit-Sandwich would have been more suitable. My intention was not to be an arrogant prick, yet I certainly nailed the tone. It really took the wind out of my sails and I chose not to post it.
   After spending a creative weekend in Kalamazoo (putting the disappointment of "Humble Pie" behind me), I came home late Sunday evening to a house with no heat and an outside temperature of twelve degrees. I immediately thought of all of my rants about how we needed to embrace this difficult winter and laughed. While reflecting, I put on two more pairs of socks and triple layered the rest of my body. When I finally got comfortable in my 7 blanket nest, I thought maybe I could relax and just accept this slice of humble-pie. Instead, I felt like a penguin eating a frozen shit-sandwich. IT.WAS.COLD.

This doesn't smell like humble pie....

   The cold might have been uncomfortable, but I think the worst form of torture is when we hide from ourselves. Hence, my confession. Most things in life are much easier said than done, so we usually just say something and settle for that being good enough. THAT is hiding; and I know this because I hid from myself (behind all sorts of things) for over a decade. These Saving Scotty Jacobs posts have effectively kept my actions honest and accountable. It's the "honesty" that I hope inspires others to take action for themselves. We all have our own starting points and tempos. It's not a race!!
   Yesterday marked my 77th day of living a better life. I've successfully kept pop and fast-food out of my body, I am still training in "hardstyle" kettlebells and I've lost 51 lbs. This makes me 9 lbs away from my original goal of losing 60 lbs! I feel strong, motivated and alive. I really kind of feel like I could smash through a wall.. in a good way. I've actually reached the point where it's time to upgrade to a heavier kettlebell and set some new short-term goals. This all happened so fast, I really am excited to see where it leads me next!! Progress feels amazing!!
   In all honesty, this whole setting and accomplishing goals thing is uncharted waters for me. I've done a lot of hard work (and even harder play) with little reward before now; and I know that's because I had a poor approach to life. I have learned that I must continually challenge myself in order to reach new goals and gain new perspectives. Just like training, LIFE is progressive. Even though it may not seem like it some days, the direction is always my choice.

   Today, I start a brand new adventure with the good people at Fat Blossom Farm. They are a local organic farm right here in West Michigan and I really couldn't be more excited!! This is a lifestyle change I have thought about embracing for years and can't wait to learn more about it. The opportunity to work with the earth, sow seeds and genuinely experience the fruits of my labor makes my soul smile. I can't wait to get my hands dirty and meet a few like-minded people along the way.
   I really don't feel like it was even a decision to work at a farm, but maybe more of a calling to the farm. My heart has not loved coming to work with me in the last few years and that's made life difficult. I hate consumerism and greed. I hate that I've given into both of them, even more. I was selling lawn-care earlier this year and had to walk away from it to follow my heart. There are a lot more important things in this world than green grass in August heat, trust me. I had settled on that job for all of the wrong reasons and probably would have stayed there (and in limbo) if I didn't have the support from all of you.

Observation can be inspiring, if we let it!!

   A new friend of mine had said to me the other day, "Conviction defines people.", and that simple statement blew my mind. Some of you know, I always keep a post-it note on my keyboard that reads, "Believe In Yourself!", and it's for that same reason. It's a reminder to never compromise who I am, to trust my instincts and to learn from my experiences (which learning can be quite a process at times...). We all have our own code or formula to living successfully and that makes us all very unique. For me... The past is my foundation, experience is my education, passion is my motivation, love is my reward and the world is my playground!!

...and the world is yours!

Scotty J ~ "This humble-pie tastes like a shit-sandwich."

 
 
 
 

Mid-Winter Break - A Rather Forward Reminder

 Needless to say, we've had a harsh winter in West Michigan this year. School closings, canceled events, tragedy-causing road conditions and sub-zero temperatures have been affecting regular everyday life as we know it. My Facebook feed has never been uglier with negative comments about our beautiful home. Let's try to get past that, my friends, and take a look at the bigger picture.

Embrace it, don't hate it!

   I drove a plow truck for a handful of years; claiming that I hated the snow and loved getting it out of peoples' way. Today when I look back on my snow-plowing years... I realize that it wasn't "hate" for the snow that kept me out there, but the adventure Mother Nature had waiting for me. I braved countless storms, helped stranded motorists and cleared a path for the "worker-bees" of my community. Ahhhhhhhh... what a refreshing and grand perspective. The winter of 2014 (alone) has offered an array of valuable life-lessons for me to not even dare continue hating something of which I have no control. 

   Mother Nature has done an incredible job of breaking up the monotony of our daily lives this winter. She proved that, no matter how much we try to defy her, SHE is in charge. She does not care about what time we have to be at our cubicles, when our next deadline is coming or catching flak from someone generically named "Management". Simply put, none of those things are natural. All we do when we complain about these things is prove that humans are capable of being much colder than the weather itself. We deserve to get snowed-in, we deserve an occasional leak in the roof and we deserve feeling helpless about it all. Many of us are desensitized from a true connection with the outside world. The fantasy that we are above all other things on this planet has been shattered by Mother Nature this winter... and it's fucking gorgeous.

"I hope you take the road less traveled and I hope you find the courage to grow." - Rebelution

   Last week I made a Facebook post that asked, "If you could take Mother Nature on a date, what would the two of you do?". The replies were adventurous, loving, honest, humorous, sexual, violent and some even sought forgiveness. I'd say the reply that made me smile the most was, "I would snow plow through her pillowy mounds and then travel south to hit golf clubs off of her well manicured fairway.", because who doesn't love a good sexual innuendo??

   If it were me, I would grab her by the hand and thank her for The Great Lakes. Together we would forage the land for the freshest bounty, head to the beach and prepare it over an open fire. She would teach me about Earth's mortality and I would write her a poem. We would spend the rest of the night laying in the sand, counting the shimmering stars overhead and letting our dreams dance together. When the early morning sun breaks over the horizon; I would gently touch her face and kiss her with passion. Our actions would speak louder than words and at that moment... I would be one with Mother Nature. Intimate, I know.

   Intimacy is a close, familiar, affectionate personal relationship. We owe that to Mother Nature - every moment of everyday. In actuality, her heart revolves around the sun and her spirit is moved by the moon. We can see it in the tides, taste it in our gardens and feel it in the air. Instead, we're too busy blaming her for our misfortunes. This is all due to a lack of intimacy with the outdoors. She doesn't blame us for being human, come on now!!

   Every season has pros and cons, but if we focus on the latter we are only conning ourselves. Here is my response to all of those shitty Facebook posts... Teachers - enough of being bitter about having to work into your summer. Be grateful that your students and co-workers are safe and sound on snow days. Snow Removal Specialists - you signed up for this, accept the glory of winter. Road Ragers - you deserve to be in the ditch. Think about the safety of your friends and family before you ride our asses and cause legitimate danger. Fake Winter Enthusiasts - you waste our lives twice by saying (in the late fall) you can't wait to hit the slopes, but when the snow actually comes you say you're "over-it". Let me be the first to correct you assholes... you're "under-it" and you probably always will be too.

   It has taken me twenty West Michigan winters to finally gain this perspective. The snow was always a love-hate relationship over those years. Now, I know in my heart that I love it here and to "hate" over being inconvenienced by something, is a waste of life. Those of you who really can't stand dealing with the snow, move. You can do it, I believe in you. I would think that's much easier than spreading hate for a few months out of the year anyway. 

   Mother Nature challenges us everyday to be better human-beings and that's because she is the boss. Every time we complain about her, we fail this challenge, we fail our fellow humans and we fail ourselves. Love her, respect her, praise her and only expect her to be unpredictable. Everything we know is because of her. She makes life, in itself, possible. One last thing... Shout-out to all of those true Winter Warriors carrying the torch out there. Your passion lights the way for the rest of us, thank you so much for leading by example!

That's a Winter Wrecking Crew right there!

Scotty J ~

"If I really wanted to stick my dick in Mother Nature, it's simple. I'd just take off my pants and walk outside."

Frozen or thawed, Lake Michigan always makes me smile. (PHOTO CREDIT: Clark Jansen - Holland, MI)