Interests: Why and Outcomes…

I think rather a bizarre title from my other published material.

We all, well perhaps a bit of an exaggeration there, most of us have interests. It maybe a hobby, it maybe something we carry on in adulthood that we enjoyed as a child. We may have turned our leisure activities into a profession. It really doesn’t matter where our recreational activities were founded and developed. What matters is we wouldn’t choose to do them if we hadn’t a passion for them. They can be our escape from this uncertain world and a release from our day to day routine. All of which result in pleasure, achievement and satisfaction.

I never was and probably never will be an academic. Thinking about this recently there have been many reasons for this. Rational reasons, not excuses. I admit and totally accept that my concentration in compulsory education was limited. Encouraged alot as a child to believe I was not of a grammar school standard, thrown in for good measure, far too much emotional abuse from peers and writing love songs in the back of maths and reading “The Sun” newspaper in R. E. really did not help matters. Missing quite alot of this “Education” for want of a better word, due to ill health. A good mixture for one to underachieve.

Further education was a different matter, my health improved and I was studying something I wanted, certainly not figures!!! This did not all go smoothly however. The emotional abuse continued and almost lost me my dream qualification. I fought back and won! My next two and a half decades remained a challenge most of the time. (I shall write about the fun times again) I fought prejudice, not racial may I add, once again. I grabbed happiness in all the wrong ways and suffered for these decisions enormously.

The chapters of my journey are brief. They give just an insight into the way I have become the person I am today. Whatever anyone thinks, and only a very few people know “the today me” very well. It is there business.

One thing in my half a century on this planet earth that has stayed constant with me is my interest, passion, skill and pleasure in cooking. I adore cooking, whatever the style. Baking however is something else. What makes a home smell warm, comfortable and delightful? What gets those taste buds to moisten and that stomach feel as empty as a shell, more than the smell of homemade baking. Pies, crumbles, bisciuts and cakes. All rather calorific, but its home and its done with so much love. My beautiful mum taught me to bake from a very small age. We never had shop bought anything, not even yoghurts. I watched and watched with wonder. I was amazed how things turned out from raw materials and they were delicious. So an interest I had turned into a life long hobby. I rarely failed. So I continued and as years and decades have past my hobby has accelerated. Its my passion from the top of my head to the tip of my toes. Why? Because, and I don’t want to sound Egocentric, because I can assure you I am far from that, but I rarely fail in this field. I cook and bake because I love it and my outcomes are much more positive than most things I do.

It has been suggested to me to post my dishes and delights on “WordPress”. This I have given much thought to. At this moment I have to decline this suggestion. I bake, cook and entertain with my skill to give people what I hope is a pleasurable experience and to offer them love, free love. As all my creations are not made for self grandiose, but made with love. For people who I love.

Life has a whole new meaning to me now, and has done for the last decade. Its not about achievement, its not about reward or materialistic values. Its about creating and giving love and thats what I do with my culinary skills.

It is so much more than an interest or hobby… Its love and you can’t publish that!!!!