I gave up on official New Year’s resolutions a few years ago. Too much pressure. Instead, I have naturally found myself creating several natural behavior altering starting points during the course of the regular calendar. I read more in summer when business is slower, for example. The flip side? How many of you are promising yourself you will get to the gym regularly when as I write this it is 20 degrees in Savannah and there is a threat of snow tomorrow. That’s a tough act to follow. Best of luck.
One of the things I do plan to alter is time I share with you here. Adding a personal voice to what we do at Eat It and Like It. Tell a few more stories of my travels around the region when they fit. The initial story I want to share is a perfect jumping off point.
We spent New Years Eve in Savannah. My family and I fought the elements and roamed the streets of downtown Savannah early that evening. Home by 10:30pm. We had a wonderful dinner at Tequila’s Town on Whitaker Street. Dessert, however, came first. Because my daughter is obsessed like that. We stopped at Leopold’s Ice Cream just before the store closed for the year at 7pm.
As I sat there waiting for my wife and daughter to come out with their scoops, a lovely family came out of the shop. 4-5 to the group. Pushing a stroller. One gentleman says “Oh hey! We know you we love watching your show!” I thanked them but was a bit surprised because Leopold’s is generally not one of the places where people recognize me. It is primarily tourists that visit there so I’m generally not asked what I’m cooking that night.
They told me they live on Burnside Island. Which, of course, is way out yonder Southern end of Savannah. Then (I can only assume) the mom of the group made my year with about 5 hours left.
“Oh yes! Hi! Our family reads your work all of the time. We trust you.” she said.
We trust you.
When you spend 20 plus years as a journalist and a newscaster, you live for those words. You spend a lifetime building to that point. Some people never get there no matter how hard they try. In my time, the ones who achieve it not only have earned it, but treasure the weight with which that phrase is shared.
Made. my. year.
I love what I do. The best compliment I get, and I get it regularly is “you really look like you are having fun.” Of course I am. Heck yes, I am.
Like any business, though, there are ups and down. Rough stretches for every good stretch. We’ve learned to navigate them around here. Getting better and better at it all of the time.
Web traffic in 2017 was through the roof. Content is king so we are (finally) going to add some more journalists to help me feed the beast in 2018. In the meantime, a quick word of thanks for making Eat It and Like It your trusted source for food news in this region. Much more to come.
See you on TV,
Jesse
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