Soften Saturday is coming to you on Sunday this week. Thanks for your patience. I took a bit of time to go exploring this week.
There’s been so much negative chatter lately about being gluten-free, celebrities or news folks taking jabs at those who choose to eat gluten-free and even those who eat gluten-free not by choice, alleging those on a gluten-free diet are suffering from orthorexia, need mental health care, are irritating, full of baloney, it just goes on and on. I’ve had my back up about it. I’ve defended, advocated, grumbled, complained, pondered, tried to figure out how to stop this noise. And that’s truly what it is–noise. It’s standing in the way of me connecting with my true purpose. I’ve been thinking a lot about remaining relevant while stepping back from the noise.
I have to be honest in telling you I am concerned my work, my passion for creating recipes that taste great and also happen to be gluten-free, will be less relevant when the fad of gluten-free eating passes. Yet I have no choice but to create gluten-free recipes, as I cannot eat gluten. I worry when those eating gluten-free for some fad purpose move on to the next trendy diet, the tens of thousands of you who read my ramblings will dissipate to only a handful of folks who feel some obligation to stick around. Sometimes I do want to loudly assert to anyone who will listen, “My recipes, my dining recommendations, my travel tips: they are for EVERYONE!” It’s true, they are. I create tasty food and share where you can eat tasty food while traveling. It’s not just for those who are gluten-free. But it is for those who are gluten-free. This is a slippery slope, because I am truly not for everyone. But some days I want to be. How will I remain relevant when this day comes, when the trend has passed? Will my work still matter? Who, like me, will continue eating gluten-free out of necessity? Will the recipes still be created in someone’s kitchen other than my own?
And then I think about the necessity of sharing what’s happening in the world with my friends who are gluten-free, by choice or by necessity. I know many of you have Celiac disease or Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity or very simply feel better when not eating gluten. I feel obligated to let my readers know when something unkind has been said about gluten-free folks so we can fix it. It’s so very relevant and I have felt a need to share it. I’ve spent a lot of time, put a lot of words on the screen lately, standing up for what I believe to be important. In doing so, I’ve created more noise but perhaps not more relevance. At least not the type of relevance that feeds my soul, that keeps me true to my purpose.
In thinking through all of this, I’ve realized where I feel most relevant is in the kitchen creating recipes and on the road or in the air, traveling to new destinations and sharing my finds with you. As hard as this is, I’ve decided I will no longer be sharing inflammatory news stories so I can focus on where I feel most relevant, where there is less noise and more focus. Truthfully, sharing the noise has distracted me from sharing a plentiful backlog of recipes and travel recommendations with you. I’ve got a recipe journal overflowing with new dishes, a travel journal full of restaurants, cafes, inns and hotels from my last few adventures. I let the noise get in the way of my purpose.
Thanks for understanding while I traipse down this jagged path, figuring out where I feel most relevant. Today it means I’m in the kitchen making deviled eggs and eating grits straight from a saucepan, trying to create the best cheese grits ever. I feel relevant in front of the stove, wooden spoon in hand. I’ve just returned from the South and have so much to share with you about my travels, the food, the incredible people I met on my journey. This sharing, it too makes me feel relevant. I’m going to work harder in this area and invest less in the noise. I appreciate you following along, or nudging me along as may be necessary, while I work this out. My drive to share has never been stronger, I just need to focus on reducing noise so I can get the truly good stuff to you, the juicy recommendations and recipes that affirm my purpose and ultimately help me feel relevant.
Tomorrow, a new recipe and perhaps a travel tale or two. I’ve got so much to share and today I’m casting the noise aside. Here’s to relevance….
I love this Johnna. I think when the noise amps up, our hackles get up and we feel we HAVE to defend. I’ve struggled with the same thing and at the end of the day, I think we both have followers for whom we will ALWAYS be relevant and will appreciate us more for not joining in on the noise. Because you’re right, when we engage and share ALL the crap that goes on, we aren’t focused on the truly important thing…food. There are so many people out there just…being idiots. Maybe if we ignore the idiots they’ll stop. Okay, pipe dream. But on a more serious note, what if some of them are doing it just for the attention because they’ve seen what happens when those who have gone before engage in that idiocy. Any attention is good in their eyes.
I applaud you for refocusing on what really matters!
I’m going to join you in the pipe dream, Debi, and just hope they go away if we stop feeding their fire. I think you’ve nailed it–any attention fuels them, good or bad.
Great post, Johnna, and I love that wall in your image. I think this topic is something that we all have to face and evaluate our approach, and re-evaluate, again and again in some cases. I’ve come to the same conclusion that you have about my mission and steered clear of entering the fray for long periods of time, but then something just hits me and I feel I have to chime in and offer my support to all those who feel violated by the idiots who feel compelled to talk about everything they know nothing of–celiac, NCGS, etc. Then I back off again because it’s exhausting and I remember the law of attraction and try to focus on the positive and provide the type of support that makes me feel good and makes my readers happy. Kudos on getting back to your true focus and thanks for the reminder!
Shirley
Oh, Shirley, I always love your eloquent way of saying what was really at the heart of the matter. I’m sure that one day I won’t be able to hold my tongue (or fingers as it may be) at some point and will chime in again. For now, I’m focusing on food and travel but just a few days in and it’s already challenging to not yell back at those who don’t get it.
The wall in the photo is in downtown Nashville. So much incredible texture in that city!
AMEN!
You have every right to be upset at these folks who spewing hurtful and wrong infotainment but as you say what is your real passion… I say, making us all feel better in our lives because we see your enthusiasm for food, people, life!
You say I’m not for everyone but how can that be you are a healthy, happy involved citizen of the world and I for one find you and John a breath of fresh air in this world of negativity… Thank You… 🙂
Aw, thanks, Robert! I really do strive to make my enthusiasm for food, people and life come through in my writing. And I’ll be darned if the cranky folks are gonna drag me down with them. 🙂
Johnna,
What you do for your self and share with others is always going to be relevant: LOVE is supremely relevant. Don’t worry about the “trendy” food folks-or the haters. They will come/go when they fail at their attempt to negatively influence/spread/control others. I do not have celiac disease, but I have lactose intolerance which creates its own challenges & your recipes enable me to make & share wonderful healthy food with the rest of my family at our potluck celebrations-and everyone enjoys them! I am a meat eater, but I like to eat at least 3 meatless meals a week so your vegan recipes are really appreciated! As most of my middle-aged friends, I also try to use more healthful fats in my diet, and until one of your recipes required coconut oil, I had never used it! Your recipes ARE for everyone- so have no fear about relevance-healthy, nourishing food prepared with love will always be relevant!
Thank you so much for your kind words, Joan! I so enjoyed hearing how you are using my recipes, it just makes my day! And this: “Nourishing food prepared with love will always be relevant!” You’ve given me a much-need boost to keep at it!!