Shawn Blanc likes to say that those who work with their minds, rest with their hands. It’s something I absolutely believe in. Even throughout the day on a micro level, I take brief work rests to clean the kitchen, vacuum the living room, or sift through the horror that is the litter box.
Shawn likes to do woodworking when he is resting. It’s a hobby I would love to get into one day, but right now I don’t have the money, space, or tools to do it.
I have discovered a different but applicable hobby in barbecue. Not only do I enjoy the labor I put into it, but the fruits (well, meats) I get out of it are quite delicious. In the past month, I’ve spent two of my Saturdays seasoning meat, soaking wood chips, and keeping my smoker at a consistent low heat.
One of the beauties of barbecue is it gives you a lot of time to relax. You have to pay attention to your smoker and the temperature, but it’s a long process and there’s a lot of waiting time. You can read a book, drink a beer, finally beat that level on TwoDots, write a letter to your representative, relax in the sun, etc etc etc.
Another great thing about barbecue is there’s a lot of freedom and creativity. You can spice it up however you want. Want to make it sweet? You can do that. Want to put sriracha on it? You can do that. Want to soak your ribs in Dr. Pepper? You can do that. There are so many ways to achieve different flavors. It’s almost an art form (but really it’s science).
While I love hacking away, I’m really excited to have a fun hobby that doesn’t involve me staring at my computer. There’s something so relaxing about spending my Saturday working in the sun. I’m already planning on doing a rack of ribs for my next smoke…
