Getting a BBQ fix (cont.)

Question: Does the constant quenching of the passion detract from it or make the burn less.

Answer: This one is complicated. The longer I push aside the need to BBQ, the more it tends to occupy my mind, enabling resentment to ooze in. I’ve become very effective at recognizing when that resentment is directed at my family, and I’ve taken personal measures to ensure that does not happen any longer. Actually I managed that after about year two. But the resentment attributed to “the real job” and its relentless pursuit of my time is different. The struggles of keeping a positive attitude and defining the personal goals that satisfy a need to feel fulfilled become a daily challenge. Not just a footnote challenge, but a challenge that requires pausing in the parking lot to define a state of mind that will be conducive for a working environment. Patience runs thin.
The burn to pursue BBQ does not die. It is not quenched. It may be forced to smolder for a little, but it takes just a little fanning to get the fire going again. Eventually something has to give though, and if its not BBQ, what will it be? Like I said, this one’s complicated.