Finding Freedom: ABG's First-Ever Book Club Pick
Our relationship with alcohol is complicated.
(How’s that as an understatement for you?)
Alcohol? We love it! We hate it. It’s beautiful! It’s ugly. It’s inspiring! It’s destructive. More, please! I need to stop drinking so much. And etc.
Sound familiar?
Working in our industry, it’s likely that we’ve all experienced some version or some mix of each of these sentiments around alcohol.
It’s complicated and challenging, and it’s compounded by alcohol’s funding of our paychecks and livelihoods.
Beck and I think that’s worth talking more about, and leaning into the challenges rather than shying away from them. That’s why, this week, we’re excited to share with the community our very first ABG Book Club pick: Finding Freedom: A Cook’s Story, Remaking a Life from Scratch by Erin French.
You may recognize Erin French as the chef and owner of The Lost Kitchen restaurant in the town of Freedom, in Maine, which was named by Bloomberg as one of twelve restaurants worth traveling across the world to experience, and by TIME Magazine as one of the world’s greatest places.
You may also recognize, for different reasons, some of the themes and experiences that French describes in her memoir. The rush of restaurant service, both front of house and back of house. Maine! Food trucks! The financial stressors of hospitality. Managing stress and emotions through prescription drugs. Addiction to those drugs, washed down with alcohol. Abusive relationships. Single parenthood. Rehab. Divorce. Constructing your own redemption.
Some of those experiences may sound familiar to you too, and that’s why Finding Freedom is first up for ABG’s Book Club. Whereas some book clubs struggle to find their unifying theme, ours is built in: the reality of life in wine and spirits, and how we keep it together to stay well. Issues of wellness (or un-wellness as the case may be) are so contextual, and so part-and-parcel, to our industry, yet safe spaces to talk about them are so limited.
That’s why we’re expanding ABG’s offerings to include this conversation about Finding Freedom. It’s a jumping-off point for us to explore what’s best about the best book clubs: we find some shared experiences in them, and some commonality with others in the conversation. They make us laugh, and they make us think.
We’ll get together live on Thursday, May 27 at 5 pm PST / 8 pm EST, via Zoom for an hour. Click here to register.. We also welcome your thoughts and stories ahead of time, if you can’t or would rather not join us live. We don’t want to shy away from engaging the challenges of alcohol, but we do want to handle them mindfully and in a safe place.
Let me end with a little bit of a teaser: Finding Freedom’s Chapter 31, The Awakening of a Woman, is so. Worth. The. Wait. Especially for us wine people.
Looking forward very much to talking through it all with you.
Namaste,
Cathy
What We're Reading:
Here's what has piqued our interest this week in the world of wine and mindfulness.
There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing, by Adam Grant for the New York Times (possible paywall)
The neglected middle child of mental health can dull your motivation and focus — and it may be the dominant emotion of 2021.
How the Physical Body Holds Mental Tension, by Tami Bulmash on elemental.medium.com
Bulmash explores the connection between mind, body, posture, and stress.
Excessive Drinking Rose During the Pandemic. Here Are Ways to Cut Back, by Anahad O’Connor for the New York Times
Many Americans increased their alcohol intake during the pandemic, with women and parents of young children disproportionately affected.
The 7 types of rest that every person needs, by Saundra Dalton-Smith MD for ideas.ted.com
We’re suffering from a rest deficit because we don’t understand the true power of rest.
Our ‘Before’ No Longer Makes Sense. How Do We Live Now? By Elizabeth Dias and Audra D. S. Burch for the New York Times
As we look ahead to life after the pandemic, many people are reflecting on deep, personal questions about loss, love, and how to live.
Rosie Could Be a Riveter Only Because of a Care Economy. Where Is Ours? By Anne-Marie Slaughter for the New York Times
The men and women who went to work and war during World War II were backed by a care economy. We need one too.
Are You Too Clingy Sometimes? Here’s What To Do, by Robert Taibbi for Psychology Today
Anxiety can lead to a fear of loss and abandonment.
Meet the Community!
Here we meet some of the talented folks who make our community and profession so dynamic.
Rachel DelRocco Terrazas, Editor-in-Chief at the Vintner Project, freelance writer, editor, and copywriter at racheldelrocco.com(Arizona, USA)
Years in the Industry:
I’ve been in the industry 15 years now. I was a server and restaurant manager in New York; then I continued to learn my way around a restaurant in Austin and Houston as a manager, bartender, sommelier, and beverage director. I took certifications and studied, created cocktails and curated wine lists. Then I spent some time in Oaxaca to start my writing career. I fused the two when I ended up in NJ/NY working at Wine & Spirits Magazine as an Associate Editor, Tastings Director, spirits writer, and wine critic. As of 2020, I now work for myself! I’m the Editor-in-Chief at the Vintner Project and work for myself as a freelance writer, editor, and copywriter with more exciting projects in the works! If it wasn’t apparent, I need to keep things fresh!
My Top Challenge to Wellness:
1. Addictive behavior—of all kinds! I got sober last year but those triggers and behaviors can manifest themselves in so many ways—a sense of overindulgence in response to an empty feeling. I find myself in the same trouble with substances like nicotine, caffeine, and sugar but also work, social media, and the news. I have to keep myself in check.
2. Comparing myself to others—I try not to use the term “imposter” syndrome but I do find myself constantly comparing myself to others—what they’ve accomplished, what they’ve written, what projects they’re working on and wondering why I didn’t kick my own ass to do that too. It takes tremendous reminders of kindness to myself, checking my needs and wants, and having faith in timing.
3. Procrastination! Queen of this—I always want to get ahead and not behind; I have such a tendency to wafer between overexcitement and overwhelmed that I render myself completely useless. It’s a vicious cycle and I’m slowlyyyyy finding ways to work through this one.
How I Keep It Together to Stay Well:
Community and support is number one—remembering not to isolate and that you’re not alone. I have a therapist, a sponsor, and a network of people that keep me accountable and are there when I need. Working out has done wonders and not in the weight sense but in the feeling of being a nourished, stronger woman. Taking a pause. And setting boundaries and speaking my truth—easier said than done but the simple ideas of saying, “no” or “not right now” or “let me get back to you” or “I need help,” has changed everything.
What Inspires Me:
People who are open, honest, and willing to others, to the world, to change that needs to happen. Artists, caretakers, speakers, writers, and those around who want to share their stories to help others.
A Quote I Love:
Bringing it old school and being open about my biggest not-so-guilty pleasure (this was also my high school yearbook quote but it’s still relevant and I still think about it):
“But then came the day I climbed out of these safe limbs, walking tall, head high up, and singing” – Dave Matthews Band ☺
You can connect with Rachel on Instagram at @racheldelrocco and online at www.racheldelrocco.com
This Week's Reminder:
A short meditation or resource to help you maintain a sense of balance in an otherwise busy headspace.
How to Handle Restlessness – A Meditation with Joseph Goldstein - Ten Percent Happier.com
In this six-minute guided meditation, meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein unpacks what restless energy us all about, showing you how to go from restless to restful.
Shop our ABG Merchandise
Hydration, safety and style are all possible with ABG branded gear. The offerings are a small list of high quality items that we have road-tested and reviewed, and hope they help support your self-care, while staying hydrated, safe, and stylish! << Check it out here >>
