So much to be thankful for

As Thanksgiving quickly approaches (seriously, how is it a week away?), I realized that while I have a lot to do, I have even more to be thankful for. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays for two reasons- while there is some commercialization to it, Thanksgiving has stayed relatively free of American consumerism for me and it celebrates two of my favorite things - family and food. Between being swept up in the list of things to do before we host dinner and my never-ending quest to avoid engaging in Christmas until after Thanksgiving, I realized that I had not spent a lot of time just being thankful. So, I started reflecting last night about what I would say if someone asked me what I was thankful for. Now, I could just toss out the list of things I am thankful for and it would probably mirror the lists of many people and it would be a nice list but...

But it might lack real thought or unique perspective and it might just leave out some of my interesting things to be thankful for. So, here is my list of what I am thankful for this year - in no particular order - and I hope that everyone reading this takes some time to consider what you are most thankful for and then takes the time to say it out loud.

1. The perspective of a child: those who know me, know that I love kids and that I have nicknamed myself "rock star aunt". My niece and nephews are the most adorable, funny, interesting people(not that I am biased!) and their perspective constantly reminds me to appreciate the little moments. When they coming running to jump into my arms when I come over or get so excited about watching an "old" movie (like the Karate Kid) or showing me the latest gymnastics move, I am reminded that the simple things are often the most enjoyable and rewarding. And, I cannot fail to mention that moment when they snuggle in for a hug and just stay for an extra moment tucked into my neck - seriously, it is like heaven.

2. A True Partner: As is true for most people, I have had good and not so good relationships but I am truly thankful that I have such a wonderfully smart, funny, kind and engaging partner. Christy and I work at our relationship and almost seven years later, I can say with confidence that I have found someone who brings out the best in me. She reminds me that life is about more than things like work; it is about exploring and experiencing life with someone you enjoy and love. Whether we are hanging at home, flying somewhere together or chatting from two different cities, there is no one person I would rather be with and I am thankful every day that we found each other.

3. Basi Italia: Okay, so those who know me know that Christy and I spend a lot of time here, A LOT. And, so while I love this restaurant and I love the people who work here, it is about more than that. It is about community, great food and passion. I am thankful for Johnny and Trish, owners who love their employees, their guests and their community. I love that the staff takes the time to know their customers and to bring their passion forward each and every day. I love the moments I have shared over a glass (or a bottle!) of wine here and I love that when I cannot bear the thought of eating dinner by myself when Christy is traveling that they make me feel like I am always welcome. I love that we have found a home in this city that includes great places like Basi.

4. The ability to give back: I am thankful that I have the ability to give back - not just with money but with my time and my energy. Our communities do so much and there are so many who do not have the support network, resources or abilities to do it without that community support. Whether it is donating my time to the local food pantry, buying my Christmas tree in support of a local charity or spending my Monday afternoons with amazing youth at Kaleidoscope, I am thankful that I can and do give back.

5. A sense of culinary adventure: I love food and trying new things but that was not always true. I did not grow up with a diverse food palate so I often shied away from trying new and different things. Somewhere along the way, I got to know chefs who made me try things and I learned that I enjoyed WAY more stuff than I ever realized! As I learn more about Columbus and I see the passion of people in this city for food in all of its forms, I find myself trying new things, exploring new flavors and looking for the next food adventure. I am thankful that I opened my mind and my mouth because some of my most favorite experiences have included exploring food and trying new things.

6. New experiences: this year has had some ups and downs for me professionally and there was a moment or two when I was worried that I would not find a way to handle it with grace and perspective. I am doing something that I would not have necessarily seen myself doing but I am enjoying it and learning from it and growing into it. I don't know if it will be permanent or how the future will unfold but I am grateful for the opportunity to have new experiences and that I have been able to find all the good in those experiences.

7.Opportunity: As I thought about this list and I thought about the things that I am thankful for, I started thinking about the things that I have not yet experienced, the places I have yet to go, the foods I still want to try, the people I would love to meet and I realized - I am thankful for opportunity. I am thankful for the chance to live life to its fullest, to try new things and to a future that is filled with opportunity.

8. Family, in all its forms: I am blessed to have a huge, awesome family. Seriously. We hang out together, we go on vacation together, we laugh and cry and argue with each other and we really like each other, differences and all. Beyond my blood family though, I have so many people who I consider family - those who have played such an important role in my life that there is no other word to capture what they mean to me than to call them family. I think the best thing I have learned about having a big family is that there is always enough love to go around. Growing what you consider your family does not mean that you have to love anyone any less - your heart just expands as they come into your life. So, I am thankful for all the people in my life who are family, in the broadest, most welcoming sense of the word.

Now, this list is far from exhaustive but it is a good reminder that there are fun, serious, light-hearted and meaningful things to be thankful for this year. As I enjoy my Thanksgiving holiday with friends, family, colleagues and those I am just getting to know, I will take a moment to soak it all in and be sure to say just how thankful I am.

We need more than Superman...

I had the opportunity to see 'Waiting for Superman' tonight as part of a screening sponsored by the the KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) Academy (http://www.kippjourneyacademy.org/) here in Columbus. First, if you are not familiar with KIPP, take a few minutes and read about them. Read about their commitment to making sure all children succeed - they truly are working to fulfill 'no child left behind' and fulfill it in a way that does not just move children forward but actually creates learning and engagement. Now, I have been reading about this movie for a few months - Time Magazine covered it and so did Oprah, so it was hard to miss the information about it. And, I was intrigued to see how Michelle Rhee was portrayed, given that she just resigned as Chancellor of the D.C. School District, in advance of what many believed was her removal by the new mayor. This film highlights many of the huge problems within our education system but it also leaves you with hope that those few bright spots may actually help light the path to our way forward. A way that makes a difference and turns the tide on what has become a failing system of non-education.

I am sure many of you will go see it so I won't tell the whole story, but here are some startling statistics (hopefully I captured them accurately - any error is on my part): in the state of PA, almost 60% of inmates are high school dropouts and the annual incarceration costs are $33K a year, with an average stay of 4 years. Now, tuition at a private school costs a little over $8K a year. When you do the math, you realize that investing in our youth can make an impact in more ways than one. There are more than 2,000 'dropout factories' across the U.S. - schools where less than 50% of students graduate; in a tracked school, only 62 out of 100 will graduate and only 31 of those 100 students are ready to go to college; in NY, they spend $100M annually in supervising and paying teachers who are have pending trials for terminable offenses and that leave averages THREE years. And that does not even touch the below average performing teachers - these are for things like sexual misconduct, shoving a student's head in a toilet and excessive absenteeism. As long as they show up for 7 hours ands sit in the 'rubber room', they get paid and accrue benefits. I mean, if there was ever a scenario for the phrase "WTF", this is it.

Now, I do not believe that teachers are the only problem - we have a broken system, one where there is a 23-page evaluation for a teacher that must be done by specific dates within specific time frames with each step being completed or the review process gets prolonged another year. We have federal, state AND local regulations that have bloated our system with bureaucracy and inefficiency beyond belief and we have parents who do not work with their kids and emphasize the importance of education. A system where the teachers' unions are THE largest donor to politic campaigns in this country - more than the Teamsters or any other group. So, when Michelle Rhee put together a proposal in D.C. to keep the current system and allow for moderate raises (average salaries around $54K) or an alternative proposal to reward teachers on their performance (with those salaries being around $122K), the teachers' union would NOT allow a vote.

But here is the most important thing that I walked away from this film with - it can be different, it can change and children, no matter where they live or where they come from, can learn and can excel in school. Remember that 31 out of 100 statistic earlier? Well, a charter school in that same area that does not track students but operates with the belief that all students can and should be ready for college? 96 out of 100 students graduate AND are ready to go to college.

It is going to take more than our government trying to fix a problem to find the solution - no matter which side of the aisle you are on, I think we can all agree on that. It is going to take communities standing up and demanding change, it is going to take parents, friends and family being active in their children's education and it is going to take kids understanding and valuing their education. Superman might be able to stop us from going off the cliff but it is going to take all of us to turn the bus around and getting it moving in the right direction.

This film really made me stop and think - and it made me want to tell the story because it is not just the kids who go to these schools who are impacted - it is our economy, our innovation and our future. I love what KIPP is doing and think their story is just one of the many out there that show we can make a difference when we are willing to change the system. Check out the film when it opens here - the Drexel will be showing it and take the opportunity to read to a child, donate books to a school or volunteer your time to make a difference, not just for one child but for our future.

Speaking Up

So, unless your head has been in the sand for the last few weeks, you know that there has been several young people who have taken their lives over bullying. And you know there are a lot of people, famous and not, speaking up about bullying and how it needs to stop. You are also seeing people make correlations to the laws that prevent equality and the belief that those inequalities justify behavior toward those minorities in the minds of those who bully. I am not going to pretend that I have any idea what is in the minds of those who bully - we all know that kids can be mean, they don't comprehend how deeply their words and actions can reach and there are many reasons beyond gender and sexual identity that people bully. But, as we have learned so many times before - ignorance is not an excuse and I am speaking up to bring awareness to an issue that we cannot afford to ignore - one life lost is one too many.

Last night, I went to the Kaleidoscope Youth Center last night to interview for volunteering there. What an amazing resource for young LGBTQ people in central Ohio. With a variety of activities to engage the youth, as well as opportunities for them to talk, share, play, vent and relax, this is an organization that is working every day to make a difference for youth in our city. I was reminded again that Columbus is an amazing city, with so many great organizations working hard to support various groups within the community. I left there so motivated and inspired to give back. As I have shared before, I have been incredibly lucky in my own experience of coming out and I realized that I have something I can give back. I can give back support, mentoring and engagement with those who miss out on that in their home or school lives. Once I clear all the stuff (background check), I will be jumping into volunteer opportunities with this organization. One person making an effort - I believe it will make a difference.

Then, tonight I watched a video of a city councilman from Ft. Worth, Texas - he took almost 13 minutes at the city council meeting to address the recent suicides from bullying and to share his own story, one that he had never shared before. Now, I think anyone who shares a personal and emotional story has courage but a city councilman in Ft. Worth, TX? From where I sit, it seemed that the odds of support were stacked against him. And he inspired me to write this blog post because here he is, one person making an effort to make a difference.

See, at the end of the day, we are all so much more alike than we are different and that is what I hope we can find our way back to - the knowledge that we are all human and we all deserve to be treated with respect. I don't have to like or agree with everything about you, but I should still be able to show you compassion and acceptance as a person. Such a big goal but I do believe we will get there. So, next time you see or hear something that doesn't sit right - speak up, show kids that courage is possible and show them that there are people who are on their side, in their corner and hopeful that tomorrow will be better than today.

Celebrating the passion of Columbus

As I reflected on a recent Twitter conversation regarding the best restaurants in Columbus, and the subsequent in-person conversations that occurred about it, it got me thinking about passion and how that is one of the things that I think sets Columbus apart from so many other places I have lived. See, to me it was never about the best 10 restaurants in Columbus, it was about sharing the passion for food and the amazing diversity this city is creating. Anyone can create a top 10 list and have people agree, or disagree, with their choices, but I want to be inspired by the passion. I want to see the passion of those restaurant owners and chefs and employees coming through the words on the paper, making me want to be part of their adventure.

During local foods week, I had the chance to participate in two events that really captured the passion that people have in this city. The first event was a tour of Jeni's Ice Creams. Now, I have yet to meet someone who does not enjoy the experience of Jeni's ice cream - the interesting flavors, the friendly team at every store and the seasonal treats are just a few of the highlights. But, in the event you did not already love Jeni's, upon meeting Jeni you can't help but fall in love. She embodies the definition of passion. From the way she talks about Snowville and the dairy that she starts with to the smile in her voice when she shares stories of the artisans on her team who help create the Jeni's experience, you walk away wondering how you can find that passion in your own life.

The second event was the local foods tour with Columbus Food Adventures. Now, if you have not joined Bethia on one of these tours, you have no idea what you are missing. Bethia is another person that embodies passion. She is spreading the word, one tour at a time, about the diverse food offerings that Columbus has - whether in taco trucks, alt eats around the city or walking through the short north. Her creativity and passion for local and authentic foods is bringing an exciting new perspective to the community. I love hearing about her ideas and thoughts - the tours are so much more than getting from point A to point B, they are about the stories and experiences that make each place unique and interesting.

Now, I know there are so many others who bring passion every day to this city - but these two jumped to mind after my experiences last week. If you are looking, ask someone about their dining experience with Alana, shop the North Market, stop at the Hills Market sometime, pop into one of the many independent retailers around the city, check out a mobile food truck, let Rogue Bakery deliver you some cookies or strike up a conversation with someone in your neighborhood. Who knows where you will discover your next encounter with passion.

Rediscovering Local

Local Foods Week in next week - and it really got me thinking about what local means and how that has evolved for me in the last few years. I grew up in Columbus and I remember when I was younger seeing my city as this place of 'started here' - Wendy's, White Castle, Donatos, Max and Erma's - that was my local. I thought eating at the Food Court in Lane Avenue and stopping at Graeter's was being a local. And, in some ways it was - I was in my community, supporting the businesses of my community but what I was not doing was appreciating the flavors and seasons that food so wonderfully offers.

I grew up in a big family - I am the oldest of seven - and we did not experiment a lot with food. Weekly budgets and the need to avoid waste (yeah, we mastered that one before it was 'in') made it difficult for my mom to bring food into the house that we would not eat, which meant there were a lot of things we were never exposed to growing up. Then I worked for Rax (anyone remember the local Arby's concept?) where I actually began to see some connection to fresh food and quality. I was the weekend salad prep person in high school - and they brought in cases of fresh fruits and vegetables - lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, cantaloupe to name a few - and I chopped them all. Seriously. Lettuce came in heads, not bags and I spent many hours getting fresh fruits and vegetables ready to serve. This started what turned into a career of working with food and seeing the practical, business side of food and not always embracing the emotional side of food.

So, fast forward to college in small-town Indiana, where I worked for the college food service - so many people thought everything came in pre-made and ready to heat (including me!) But, once I stepped into that kitchen and saw the work that went into trying to serve students meals that met their varied, and yet picky needs, on a budget, I started to think about stuff differently. Oh, and by the way, those cooks and chefs make way more than you think they do and they pour their hearts into their jobs. Now, in this town there were two options - fast food or local food. Can I tell you what a huge deal it was when the town got a super Wal-Mart and a Bob Evans right next to it? I mean the wait to get into there was like they were handing out $100 bills. So, you learned, consistent food meant fast food while the experiences (good and bad!) happened at the local joints.

Then came real life - life after college, life on my own, figuring out how to cook for one or two (especially when all my mom's recipes were for 8-10!) and understanding how to balance work with life. Throw a 50-mile commute (one way) into that mix and you can imagine how easy it was to stop and pick something up on the way home, thinking only about convenience and not much at all about taste or nutrition and certainly never stopping to think about what it took to get that food to me.

if I jump ahead to my move to Chicago, that starts my love affair with food. See, before, I liked eating but I did not enjoy food and I certainly did not have the love affair I have now. Sushi - really? Farmer's markets - what are those? Little Italy, Mexico and all the other ethnic streets/neighborhoods in Chicago - I mean, is it safe to go there? Yep, Chicago was the turning point for me - for the first time, I was really and truly on my own - living alone, forging my way in a new city, and a big city, and learning to take chances, something I had not really done up to that point. So, I checked out the city markets, I got on the train (and the bus) and went to Taylor Street, Chinatown, Little Mexico and the neighborhoods that celebrated Middle Eastern and European traditions and foods. I met chefs, I tried street food (often known as roach coaches then) and I learned that really, truly experiencing food was about so much more than the food. It was about the traditions and the flavors, it was community and the shared experiences. And, above all else, it was fun.

See, I think food had become function for me. I worked so much with food that I forgot to enjoy food. It was practical and it was my job, but I had not taken the time to learn it and love it. But once I did, it became part of me - trying new things, eating new foods, introducing others to new places, learning about the community and the places that bring the uniqueness to the city - that all happened starting in Chicago and has really started to blossom in my return to Columbus. Things like gardening, canning and preserving were foreign concepts to me - and now, I love the idea of figuring out how to make strawberry preserves without pectin (it can be done!) or trying to grow tomatoes that the squirrels don't eat (that is a little tougher). I love the way my hands smell after I work the dirt, or rub a tomato plant leaf and I love walking through the neighborhood and seeing the diversity of businesses that are opening and thriving, despite tougher economic times. Oh, and the friends I have made. That list keeps growing and filling up with people who are smart, funny, passionate, engaged, interesting, diverse and of course, food lovers.

You see, I have a whole new perspective on this city since I have returned. To be sure, the city has evolved and changed a ton since I left for college almost 20 years ago but I am looking at it all differently too. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I do not shun corporate America and I certainly think there is a place for everything but the vibrant businesses and entrepreneurs that are helping put Columbus on the map - with food, art, education, business, science, research, community and innovation - they are the ones that define local for me. When I am at Target, I don't think people shopping there are bad for local business (clearly I am there too!) but I do know that I much more likely to strike up a conversation with someone at a local restaurant or the great boutique shop in the Short North, deepening my connection, and hopefully theirs, to this great city. For me, it is about finding ways to blend practical, functional needs with community engagement.

So, as we embark on local foods week in Columbus next week - I challenge you to think beyond your food, and think about your community, think about the connections you are making, think about how you can show your support for local and tell your story. Make it personal. Make it meaningful. Make it matter. At the end of the day, it is the people in the community that are going to make the difference.

Oh, and did I mention that, while I did come back home, I never thought I would fall in love? Well, I did. I just hope that Columbus gets as much out of me as I get out of her.

Finding my voice...again

So, tonight I read a friend's blog about Local Foods week (thanks John!) and it inspired me to take to the keyboard. It has been a few months - I wish I had a great reason why, like I was traveling the world or I was doing something of significance, but it was mostly that I just lost my voice. It started with work - the place that I continue to swear about, promising that my job does not define me, it is just a job. I was recruited to interview, pushed to get out of my zone and go for a position that people told me repeatedly I had to go for. Well, I went for it and I did not get it. Second time in less than 12 months that it happened to me and I gotta say - second time around does not get easier! So, I got stuck in a range of 'feel sorry for myself' emotions and hovered there for a bit. Then I got a new boss and my world changed again. As the organization asked me to step into a new role, and as I tried to not see the request as further chinks to my armor, I found myself losing me in all of it. And, I realized the worst had happened, I was allowing myself to be defined by my job. Ugh.

So, I started stepping back, not working like crazy, telling people no and setting new boundaries for work. Awesome, right? Well, then I realized that in the wake of all this work shit, I had lost me in the shuffle. So, I started back down the road of finding me. I mean, what happened to the girl who would get up with a smile (okay, maybe not at 6 am!), seeing the world through her glass half-full perspective? Where was the girl who loved adventure and was always looking for new ways to engage? And, the one I was most missing, the girl who loved meeting new people and creating new connections in this great city? Oh, she was there, just buried under a pile of self-doubt and paralysis. I mean, where does one start when it feels like there are more things to fix than things that are right? Well, I think I am stumbling into the 'one thing at a time' approach.

Which leads me to the initial thought I had while reading John's blog tonight - new connections and this great community. I have met some amazing people in this city - through local organizations (shout out to Local Matters and Slow Food Columbus), Twitter (yep, I am talking to you Twixlen, Jarsloth, Hungry Woolf, Michael Coyote, Highland Estates, EmZeeGee, JimEaton, DrElena, HeatherFidler and so many others...) and at fun events (hello, Columbus Food Adventures, House Wine and Columbus Underground Happy Hours!) or restaurants (I mean, if you know me, you know I have met a person or two at Basi!) The great thing is that these people have become part of my life, some in person, some I am still looking forward to actually meeting, making me laugh, making me think and making me want to do and be more. So, I jumped on to my blog, my completely neglected and underutilized blog, to share my thoughts on finding my voice and how the local community, in all its various forms, has been the start of me rediscovering me.

So, there you have it - the start of me finding me again. I think this is going to be fun...

Local Envy

Lately, my thoughts have been circling around an idea that I have labeled ‘local envy’. You see, I live in a great city; one that offers a vibrant local community of artists, culinarians, creatives, innovators, entrepreneurs and people who are passionate about everything. My challenge is that because of my day job, I miss opportunities to truly be part of the local community, hence my local envy. It kicked into high gear when I was in town recently and volunteered for the Local Matters open house – a great event at their new location where 200 people came out to show their support for local food and education. There were so many opportunities to engage with people and feed my passion for interacting and building relationships and yet I still feel like I cannot fully engage because I am not consistent. I may go several weeks without traveling but then it will be weeks on the road, where home becomes a place to do laundry and repack my suitcase! And, the longer I live here, the more I crave real connections to people and the community, relationships that are rooted in our common passions but filled with celebrations of our unique perspectives and differences.

As I see the ways in which community is built, informal get-togethers, regular meet-ups and organized events, I am envious of people who get up in the morning and head out the door to their office or business, or even the local coffee shop to start their day. My home office begins to feel like the black hole of connecting – no one to talk to, interact with or share the highs and lows of the work day with. And, while I have no problem grabbing a drink by myself on the road, it seems awfully lonely to grab after-work drinks with myself when I am home. I know, I am starting to wallow in my local envy and it is not pretty. I think it is time for a new perspective.

So, how do I embrace this passion I have for community and localness, when I am not around long enough to build strong roots, heading back out on the road before I can get firmly planted? First, acknowledge that envy can be ugly so I need to channel those emotions in a positive direction. Second, there have to be people and places that I can engage with to start laying roots, or at least planting seeds. Third, in my longing to be a local, I have so many ideas and so many paths that I can pursue but I have to focus – being scattered and all over the place is not the way to start. Similar to how I have started new in so many cities and jobs, I must step back and assess where it is best to focus all this energy and passion.

As I begin the month of May, my personal goal is to create a plan for myself – one that focuses my energy and lays a clear path to changing my envy into action. After an informal research study on Facebook by a friend of mine, we have determined that Virgos tend to spreadsheet everything so I suspect that my plan will make its way into an excel document, with target groups, dates and events all mapped out – hey, I have to channel all this envy somehow, right? In all seriousness, my ‘Year of Molly’ is taking a new twist, one that is destined to be about so much more than me.

One last note to close on: as I continue my quest to get rid of my local envy and find ways to connect, I have to give a shout-out to the Basi Italia team – Johnny, Trish, Ryan, Jen (fondly known as Trixie in my world), Kaitlin (who I continue to call Katie), Johnny the bartender (who we were not sure Johnny the owner would find humor in him being called Johnny Jr.) and all the other great people who work there who make me feel like a local – I just might be putting down my first real roots at the end of our street with great food, great wine and, best of all, a great community of people who love this city as much as I do (and maybe even a little more)!