Do One thing

I promised to write a piece for my “about” link and am usually true to my word, but something more pressing came up: sushi and graduation. If you don’t think those two things have anything in common, read on. But before I say more, the best way to reveal one’s true self is to not say anything directly. So, given that, I don’t feel remorseful for not writing my autobiography. Last Friday, while the students at Bastyr University (where I work as a librarian) were frantically wrapping up their finals, I happened to walk into the cafeteria. Those of you who have catered, worked in restaurants or performed any kind of kitchen duties know the madness of special events. The kitchen crew was making sushi for the dessert reception for graduates and families. Sushi, you say? Bastyr is VEGETARIAN! Paul, who took a raw foods course, crafts julienned strawberries, cantaloupe and other luscious fruit into wrappers that melt in your mouth. The coconut adds just the right amount of sweetness and crunch that contrasts superbly with the chocolate/walnut shell. Oh, my, I had to be satisfied with only one piece. After all, I wasn’t graduating on Monday.
I do, however, attend the ceremony at McCaw Hall. Unless you’ve been to a Bastyr graduation, you might think if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. I beg to differ. This year the Keynote speaker was Graham Kerr, a.k.a the Galloping Gourmet. For many years he made many bad meals (I’m paraphrasing him here) until one day his motor home was struck by a vegetable truck and he adopted a healthier cooking style. Since then, he’s devoted his life to converting “habits that harm into habits that heal.” I’ll skip most of what he said and just give you the heart: “do one thing, do it well, until it’s done.” Well said, chef Kerr. And thank you to the kitchen crew at Bastyr. I’d like to think that the library is the soul of the university, but it’s really the cafeteria. I base that on Malsow’s hierarchy of needs: your soul can’t be fed unless your stomach is content. So, make sushi, bake an extra loaf of bread and share it with your neighbors, decorate cookies with your kids, invite your grandma for tea, or volunteer at your food bank. Do one thing…