In the movie A League of Their Own, Tom Hanks character states: “The hard … is what makes it great.” Obviously, he’s talking about a specific kind of hard. The kind where you dig in, buckle down, make it work and come out with something you can be proud of. That sounds a lot like people who choose to take the risk to open a business — restaurants especially.
These days there is a different kind of hard that we are all experiencing. It’s financially and emotionally taxing to fill up our fuel tanks, shop for groceries, stay informed about the state of our nation and world.
I want to flip Hanks’ statement and make it about joy. Some days it’s hard to recognize that we need to cultivate it amidst the chaos. I wonder whether feeling joy is a betrayal of all the cruelty to fellow humans that is happening.
Yet, a meal is both necessary and an act of hope and joy. Even if you can’t dine out as much as you’d like, make the effort to support local restaurants, grocery stores, food vendors of all types. We are the webbing in the safety net that makes it possible to have such diverse dining possibilities. To paraphrase another cultural trope, “Come together, right now, over a meal.” And spread joy.
Rise Sanders-Weir
Eats Magazine Editor