I love Chef Samin Nosrat and am following the release of her newest cookbook, “Good Things: recipes and rituals to share with people you love.” I can relate; I am Italian, after all, and cooking for you is a way of showing my love for you. In one of her interviews on her book tour, Samin said, “I care about feeding people and having a nice time together.” She went on to talk about her experience with grief and how that journey fundamentally changed her perspective on cooking, making her realize that this sentiment was what truly mattered to her.
Wow, could I relate. Right now, science is under attack in our world. Once trusted resources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Environmental Protection Agency have had anti-science rhetoric take over their communications. Career scientists are making impossible choices: quit or communicate false data points. The work of science museums could not be more important now, as we are, after all, one of the most trusted institutions, as stated year after year in bipartisan surveys organized by the American Alliance of Museums. However, my thoughts on this, as they relate to the work I do, have changed.
After my experience with grief, my proximity to death, and my loss, my perspective on the work I do in museums has shifted. I found so many connections to Samin’s words. I care about creating joy, creating spaces where people have a nice time together with people they care about and enjoy spending time with. And I care about feeding the people who help to create that joy, if not with actual food, with a space that is safe and fun to do that work in. When the world is so full of fear, anger, hate, and values that we have held dear and true for so long are at at risk of being lost, my reaction is to fight quietly, to do the good work of caring for people, and having a nice time together through the joyful experiences that can only be found in the world of museums.
If you have been through an experience with grief, how has it changed your perspective on your work or the world you walk in?
Lucy Hale 