From the Editor
Season’s Seasonings
Luis Ayala
In English, the word seasoning refers to salt, pepper, herbs or other spices that are added to different foods in order to improve or enhance their flavor.
Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and allspice have become synonymous with the holidays, and we find them in a wide range of dishes and beverages, not only in baked desserts. Perhaps it is the mental association we have made between these spices and happy holidays, but even a fleeting whiff can mentally transport us to a magical place. Doing something as simple as adding a cinnamon stick to a drink (in place of a swizzle stick) can also transform the cocktail into an aromatic and gustatory holiday neon sign!
But the word seasoning can also refer to the process by which a person becomes conditioned (or seasoned) to being in a particular place or to conducting a specific set of actions (he is a seasoned pianist, or she is a seasoned resident).
Just like we can become seasoned to our surroundings, our actions are also seasoned by the manner in which we carry them out and our communities are seasoned by our decisions and our character.
As we approach the end of the year, I invite you to evaluate which of your personality traits define your unique seasoning. Is it your character, your volunteering spirit, etc...? Also take a closer look and determine which of your traits are seasoned by your environment. Is it your political or religious views, your stance on homelessness, etc.?
According to the Greek writer Pausanias, the first of three Delphic maxims inscribed in the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi is “know thyself”.
Only after getting to know ourselves better will we be able to control how much we want to season our environments and how much we want to be seasoned by them. But don’t get carried away when analyzing your flavoring power: keep in mind that the second and third maxims of Apollo’s temple are: “nothing to excess” and “certainty brings insanity.”
Cheers!
Luis Ayala,
Editor and Publisher
http://www.linkedin.com/in/rumconsultant