So I finally was able to visit my grandfather recently. We discussed a few things and I helped him by putting the wheel back on his lawnmower. Previously he had decided that he would hire someone to mow his lawn but fired them because they went too fast and did not get a good cut. This brought back memories of when I used to mow his lawn thirty years ago. He used to get annoyed with me for mowing too fast as well but I learned quickly.
I then asked him if he got any chicken from the annual parade event held in the tiny bit town I grew up in. His reply was no and he then told me the local fire department does it four times a year but they have new cooks and they do not get the chicken done all the way. So he no longer buys chicken from any of these bbq events.
These events are generally held to benefit a volunteer fire department, the american legion, veterans of foreign wars, and on and on. My grandfather had made it a practice for over sixty years to buy this chicken. That is the end of a long standing tradition. He stated that nobody is willing to put in the time or effort to do it properly anymore. They do not take pride in what they are doing.
That really seems to be a common malady in the world today. Everyone is always in such a hurry. We are all racing headlong towards death as fast as we can and in the process, we lose ourselves in the shuffle.
I prefer charcoal or wood when barbequing. Most people use propane now if they bother with it at all. To me propane is not barbecue it is simply taking your stove outside. You cannot rush it, low and slow, take the time to do it right and I promise you, that first bite will make it all worth it.
We really need to slow down and get back in touch with tradition. Do it right or why bother?
