I've been thinking a lot lately about the entertaining summer flick Julie and Julia, but especially about Julia Child. The movie spoke to me...as a laid-off worker seeking to discover what's next in life and what it is I really enjoy and am good at.
The story is of two women -- different places, ages, and times -- who desire to find an identity, meaningful work, and satisfying next steps in life through their love of food and cooking. I don't have to tell you the back story of Julie, the NY secretary, and Julia, the former secretary and Paris transplant, here since you can find that on LOTS of other websites this summer. Suffice it to say that these women found what was important and enjoyable to them AND led to new, unexpected careers. Now that's inspirational!
If it can happen to them, can it happen to all of us (or more specifically to me) -- baby boomer (I try to refrain from the phrase middle-age since it sounds so stodgy), laid-off and loyal employees, women who want to change the world....or at least to experience the world? Now certainly men at this stage of life and in this faltering economy find themselves in the same circumstance, but I suspect they don't relate to either Julie or Julia the way women do this summer.
My takeaway from the movie (other than that I MUST get the Julia Child/Simone Beck cookbook, Mastering The Art of French Cooking)? Let's pursue our passions and take the time to discover what gives our lives meaning. I don't want to rush into another job just to earn a paycheck...I want to create a meaningful life. I want to feel a sense of accomplishment, see the world, challenge myself to keep learning. I want to LIVE life and not just exist.
And, of course, from this coffee lover, bon appetit!
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