Posers Vs. the Process

When Jack Kerouac died, he had $87 in his checking account.

When Gandhi got shot, all he owned was a spinning wheel and a loin cloth.

Judy Garland, the woman who acted as tour guide and ushered the world into Oz, yep...penniless too at the time of her death.

Wolfgang Amadeus....they tossed his sorry corpse into a commoners grave.

Edger Allen Poe......same kinda deal.

The list goes on an on.

The one thing that these dead celebrities have in common is that they exited the world w/o money or prestige (well Gandhi got a big funeral I guess....)

But why is it that some of the personalities that the world tries to emulate, are personalities that became famous AFTER they died?

Do you think Kerouac really had his choice of poetry venues?

No, he wasn't into fame, accolades and praise, but yet people get crazy, and further more, do crazy things to obtain the status that these past icons obtained.

In case you haven't noticed, the same thing is going on in the Culinary field today.

All one needs to do, is scan Facebook or You Tube to find out that to date......there are about 94 trillion people trying to be "Foodie Personalities."

Now before I get to ranting, let be be clear.....I adore people who are enthusiasts in all forms of life.

I've never pitched in the M.L.B. but I have spent the last 20 summers teaching Capitol Cities 10-12 year olds......but I'm not trying to get a show, or worse yet....make money off of it.

But the world is changing, everybody is an expert now days, everybody has all the answers...right?

And this doesn't apply to just the accountants and plumbers that are teaching Thai cooking classes or Pie Baking 101....but even the industry professionals are exploiting the system.

How many recipes has Martha Stewart put into publication over the last decade?

Do you think she has tested each one of these, and if by a miracle she has, how many times?

But yet she wants you to worship her....after opening your purse.

I've done shows with pastry chefs that have written bread baking cookbooks, and during the presentation it was said that they invented the techniques of building loaves in 5 minutes a day.

Really?

Those concepts weren't around thousands of years ago?

I wonder if they were originated by pastry people LOL?

It is important for you realize that at the moment, I don't have an ounce of anger in my body as I pen these remarks, I'm simply stating that anybody that bypasses puberty will form into a freakish figure.

The reason people live vicariously through Kerouac is because he was able to live w/o material items,what was his quote?????

"If you own a rug....you have too much."

For Jack, it was about the process. By shedding the day to day luxurious items that many of us have framed with entitlement, Jack was able to find deeper truths that may have been more tangible.

But I think its really very important to realize that its the process that makes your skill set sharp.....and with a sharpened skill set, only then can a person take self pride.

When desires are handed out before you've broken bones, cried, or suffered loss....I just don't think it means that much.

As we speak, I'd be willing to bet that there are people all across America teaching Irish cooking courses,when they in fact know nothing on the topic.

It wasn't all that long ago when people simply wouldn't have tolerated this behavior, let alone finance it.

As we speak, there are thousands and thousands of people paying 30,40,50 grand a year to receive professional training in the Hospitality Industry.....come back in 5 years and see how many of them are left, why?

Because while they are getting soaked financially in these institutions, there are high school drop outs and illegals that are welded to cooking lines and they are simply exchanging sweat equity for a paycheck and the opportunity to work underneath a mentor.

These people don't want TV shows....they want paychecks.

So Klecko....are there any exceptions to this rule?

Of course there are, there are exceptions to everything, but the moral of today's story is.....................

If Kerouac spent more time on Twitter than hopping box cars, we'd all think he was a total dweeb.

I'll sign off with that.....

Signed - The Last American Baker