I spent a long time agonizing over my one thing, only to discover I've always known what it is. Actually what they are. Second is writing. Before my speech pathologist introduced me to the poetry of Langston Hughes, e.e. cummings, and Gwendolyn Brooks, I had another love, realizing it was such, when I was 6. My grandfather loved to cook. Even after he retired, he cooked at a homeless shelter every day, for free, up until the day he died.. Cooking, to him was as normal as sleeping or breathing. He even passed away while cooking, doing something that brought him happiness.
Growing up, my mother and her sisters never learned to cook, and my earliest memory is of me sitting on a barstool in the kitchen, watching my grandfather cleaning a bucket of chittlin's and frying catfish, and watching his girlfriend bake cakes and pies. My first love was/is cooking. When I was 12, he decided I had the knowledge and skills to make the entire Thanksgiving dinner while he sat on a chair and coached me. It was an intimidating experience, but I pulled it off. He did help me, only minimally. I made turkey and dressing, chittlin's, potato salad, fried chicken, candied yams, collard greens, corn bread, spaghetti, coleslaw, a coconut cake and a couple sweet potato pies- our usual Holiday meal. And I remember watching my mom and sister and uncles and aunts and cousins devour the food. I experience that feeling everytime I cook or bake something for dates, friends or family.
How about you? What is your one thing? Are you doing it and if not, why not?
