| And Now For Something Completely Different By Glenn DeLuca For BeerNexus.com I wasn’t sure what to title this one; An Oldie but Goody, a Moldy Oldie, Beer Philosophy… nothing seemed the right fit. And then an epiphany, my brain search engine harkened back to the wacky Monty Python show and I knew I had it. And I must give credit where credit is due. One of my regular beer buds(although I must point out he is NOT a One Percenter; for the definition of that you’ll need to check out Vince Capano’s article on that auspicious group, of which I’m a member) actually forwarded this a while ago and said he had seen it probably fifteen years ago. Again my brain search engine worked overtime and came up with nothing, so this was new to me or my search engine wasn’t finding it, which as you get older I think happens more often than it should. But it stuck with me and I thought I should be sharing this for ALL the beer drinkers out there, as this is neither craft, nor mega, nor homebrew, nor specific in any sense; it’s speaks to the beer drinker in all of us. So without further ado read on and I think you’ll see what I mean… A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar (not a clue if it had been sitting on the porch of Funk and Wagnall’s since noon or not) and proceeded to fill it with rocks, rocks about 2” in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar and shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was and they laughed. The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up all the open area between the rocks and pebbles.Now said the professor, “ I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things; your family, your partner, your health, your children – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else; the small stuff.” “If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical check-ups. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.”“Take care of the rocks first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities, the rest is just sand.” At that point a student walked to the front of the class and took the jar that the other students and professor had agreed was full and proceeded to pour a glass of beer into the jar. The beer quickly soaked into the sand, filing the remaining spaces, making the jar truly full. All of which goes to prove (as if proof were needed) that no matter how full your life is, there is always room for a beer. So as you ponder this I suggest you grab a beer, be it craft or homebrew, Stella or even Bud; beer is a marvelous beverage that all can enjoy, no matter their taste; there’s something for everyone. Glenn DeLuca writes about beer and culture of drinking. He may be reached by writing thebigG@beernexus.com. *** *** *** |
Glenn DeLuca
Outtakes from a life of beer.
beernexus.com presents
| Big G's Beer Beat by Glenn DeLuca |
| BeerNexus is proud to welcome beer writer Glenn "Big G" DeLuca as a contributor to the site. A widely traveled beer hunter, Glenn is a leading advocate for the growth of craft beer. |
| More from the BIG G The complete index of all Big G's Beer Beat HERE |
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