Recently I realized something very important. It's not freedom that people are aiming for. It's independence. It gives you a sense of accomplishment and pride. That is probably why they say that rich people are self-absorbed. Well, they made it- they got what they were going for and it's really not all that surprising (or shouldn't be) that they are like themselves right now. I do kinda get their attitude looking at it like that. Kinda though.

Anyways, nothing is as easy as it seems. But enough with the generalizations and lets get on with the more specific stuff. People always ask me why I like baking so much when most times I don't even eat the things I created. Well it's quite simple actually. Having all these ingredients in front of you and being able to mix them up into something that brings people pleasure and makes them happy...it's a satisfying feeling. Knowing that every single smile was brought on by your decisions to tweak the recipe in a specific way. Or create a new one. Or follow an old one. It doesn't really matter. 

And don't let this fool you. It's not just a selfless act to make people happy. It's actually a lot more complicated than that. It's the same feeling a painter gets when his new project is finished. Or an author when his book is being published. It's not just the acknowledgement of others. It's also the self-praise and the recognition that you did this and people appreciate it and enjoy it. You had all the control and you created something that came from your creativity, steady hand and patience (and mixer, oven and wallet...that's besides the point though). It's about an idea that turned out to be just as great once executed as it was in your head.

Any artist can tell you the feeling you get once you've finished a project. And even though baking and cooking should technically be reserved for women who have no bigger and more important dreams and aspirations, I am here to tell you that it is actually one of the things that makes me the happiest. It's a lot cheaper than therapy, but achieves more or less the same results. I've messed up a NUMEROUS amount of recipes, but now and then I will get it all right. I will have the results in from of me and the bonus- the satisfaction I get from seeing other people enjoying what I made. That sounded a bit pervy...