The Sock Drawer - 5. (A cook's) Thoughts to end all thoughts

Well that was depressing. The narrator (the cook I'm assuming), does not seem like a happy person.

On 10/28/2015 04:01 AM, Lisa said:

Well that was depressing. The narrator (the cook I'm assuming), does not seem like a happy person.

(S)He is not. But that's what happens when you're in the wrong profession, isn't it.

This poem made me think of one of the heros of late French chivalry, François Vate, who killed himself to take the blame for an order of fish not arriving to feed the king. But, in looking online for him, I stumbled upon the fact that LOTS of chefs despair and do themselves in. Your poem is perhaps a bit tongue-in-cheek (perhaps not), but the commitment and sadness these professions feel is certainly real.

Thanks for posting this.

On 01/07/2016 02:25 PM, AC Benus said:

This poem made me think of one of the heros of late French chivalry, François Vate, who killed himself to take the blame for an order of fish not arriving to feed the king. But, in looking online for him, I stumbled upon the fact that LOTS of chefs despair and do themselves in. Your poem is perhaps a bit tongue-in-cheek (perhaps not), but the commitment and sadness these professions feel is certainly real.

 

Thanks for posting this.

The case of Vatel actually does exemplify what the thanklessness and stress of a service job that is kind of respected, but not really, can lead to. Cooking is one of the most romanticised professions, while also being quite stressful/hard and taken for granted by anyone without their own experience in service. You're expected to see cooking as your calling, and people you tell that you're a cook/chef start smiling and express respect, but at the same time in working day reality, you are used like a 19th century line worker.

Eh, I didn't want to launch an essay now, though I could go on.

Thanks for the Vatel pointer and link. That's an interesting story with interesting sources.

Thank you very much for the review.