Bandwagons

As much as I wish it weren’t the case, here’s the truth: I hop on bandwagons.  

I’m that person that will miss an entire season of Blackhawks hockey, then watch them play for the Stanley Cup as if I had been invested the whole time.   I’m also the person who tries the latest greatest flavor of Kettle chips.  And you can bet that after natural disasters, I’m right there making my tiny contribution, just the same as the next guy.  I hop on board. 

Post-hop, I sometimes regret my decision. When many musicians were recording lo-fi albums in the early 2000’s, so did I.  In retrospect, I wish I wouldn’t have done it.  But there was such an appeal to it that I couldn’t resist the temptation. 

It happened again this past week.  Last night, I had to cook another 5-course meal for 20 people, then follow it with a house concert (this was one of my Kickstarter reward levels).  When putting together the menu, I was REALLY feeling the temptation to jump on board the food trends.  Specifically, kaffir lime leaves.  

I’ll spare you the details.  Sufficed to say, kaffir lime leaves and I had a short-lived relationship. 

So instead, I wound up cooking a predictably Hurdy meal.  I served predictably Hurdy wine.  When the meal was over, I played predictably Hurdy tunes with my signature dorky banter. 

The result?  All was wonderful.  The folks last night felt at ease, because I felt at ease. 

Authenticity breeds trust.  And authenticity is not something you can just hop on.  It is that deeply rooted force within you that keeps you strong and content in the face of all the shiny new fads. And as non-shiny as it feels, it suits you. 

Now that said. I will continue to hop on bandwagons. But life has once again reinforced this lesson: keep loving what you love, doing what you do, being what you are.  The latest greatest thing may be great, but if it conflicts with your authentic self, let that wagon roll off into the sunset. 

Reader, I’m back to work on the building this week.  Whatever you’re up to, I hope it brings you real deal joy. See you next Sunday. -Em

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