How to Leave a Pity Party

The unusual and cruel weather that descended upon us in January/February took its toll. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE cold weather. I would literally rather be in Western Mongolia than on the Eastern Shore of Maryland during the hot and humid summers that we endure.

This winter brought the gift of a beautiful snow, but the beauty was crusted with a thick coating of ice. It would have been tolerable, but polar vortexes prevented it from melting. It was two weeks of reclusion. People were only venturing out for work and necessities. It was a very slow time at the restaurant. I am not proud of admitting this, but I have found my spirits are often dictated by the activity at the restaurant. Meaning, when it is slow I am low. It is in these times when I realize the co-dependency of my relationship with it. I don’t worry about myself, I worry about the financial health of those that work with me. I worry about how the small farms fare in this severe weather, the small purveyors that rely on steady orders from us. Basically I worry about everything that is out of my control which gets magnified. The concern turns into a pity party. I was at this party for two weeks! I woke up one morning and decided it was time for me to leave! I had a choice. I could wallow in this awful stew or move on to another party. I chose the later. To get out of ourselves we need to reach out. We need to change the chanel, surround ourselves with intention and beauty. So, that is what I did. I chose a mug to enjoy my warm beverage that was created by my friend, Paul Aspell, I called friends who had just experienced a traumatic loss in their lives, I reached out to friends that I haven’t connected with in a while. I just got out of my head. I kept reminding myself that my situation is connected to a multiport of other situations and outcomes and if I can just keep this on an “other centered note” it will all be OK!” As soon as we leave our self-absorption, the Pity Party is over!