A couple of months into COVID, my fiancé and I were spending one of what we didn’t realize at the time would be many evenings at home. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good binge watch, but going through your entire roster of shows in the matter of weeks caused us both to take a look at the purpose of our lives.
Enter an off-the-wall, completely random idea to make our own wine. I know what you’re thinking – in reflecting on our life’s purpose we turn to wine of all things? Spoiler alert we’re a ton of fun to hang out with!
Now I’m a girl that likes to look at what’s ahead and not dwell on the past, but I recall a few glasses of wine also being a part of those nights on the couch watching one too many shows. However, I hardly think that qualifies us as sudden experts in how to craft that beautifully aged bottle of wine we often enjoyed. Well, that didn’t seem to stop us from trying (now might be a good time to mention that we are both Aries. If you look up the description of Aries or for all you zodiac lovers out there who automatically know where this is going, Aries are passionate, motivated and have relentless determination).
So knowing nothing about the art of wine-making, we did what anyone would do in a time when they have no idea what they’re doing (remember giving up is NOT an option).
Step 1: Research wine making from credible sources
Step 2: Seek out experts to learn tips and what mistakes to avoid
Step 3: Identify what tools are needed to make wine and secure those tools
Step 4: Drink a glass of wine just to make sure you don’t lose sight of the end goal
Step 5: Jump in being as informed and prepared as you possibly can be
Fast forward 2 months: our wine was…..decent. Not a failure and not a total success. Watch out family and friends – you’ll be gifted a bottle every holiday and birthday for the next year. As my fiancé and I reflect on the process – we learned, we had a lot of fun, and we have something together that we didn’t have before: collective knowledge to approach whatever next wine making feat we set our minds too.
Today is World Day of Social Justice.
Wine has nothing to do with social justice, but the journey my fiancé and I took to make wine does.
The words “social justice” carry a lot of weight. The history of it is deep. The elements of it are complex. For those of us who want to reach it there isn’t a clear path. And we are all at different places in our journey.
I encourage you today to follow the steps you would follow when approaching anything new. Inform yourself. Use the knowledge and resources of the people around you who know more than you or have done it before. Seek and secure the right tools to set yourself (or your family, friends or colleagues) up for success. Have a glass of wine just because. Dive in!
I strongly believe that we have to be open, honest, vulnerable and ready to make mistakes in order to truly learn and grow. Don’t be afraid of what you don’t know. Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t be afraid that you aren’t the most knowledgeable person on the topic. Just make the commitment to yourself and take the step towards progress.
Whether you want social justice for your personal relationships or, like me, social justice is part of your career, you can make a positive impact if you make the effort.
Like fine wine, things get better with time.
Visit our Advocacy page to learn more about how you can get involved in the fight for social justice in the world of hunger relief.
Today's post is brought to you Jayci Peters, Chief Communications and Culture Officer.