Grilling Steaks by Myself for the First Time
I am a grillmaster
I had been living alone for a few days or weeks. It has been a few years and a lot has happened. My memory is a little fuzzy. My uncle Richard, my mom’s brother had been living with me.
My uncle had passed away, leaving me living alone for the first time in my life. I learned a lot about cooking from my uncle. I was grateful that he taught me how to grill.
He had bought the steaks before he got sick
One morning, I was digging around in the freezer and found some steaks my uncle had bought before he got sick. I sat them on the counter to thaw.
We didn’t have a grill when we moved into the trailer. We didn’t have enough room in the attached shed. I found a portable grill/smoker online.
I learned how to cook a little before uncle Richard died
Uncle Richard wasted no time at all. He taught me how to use the grill. My dad and I could never do anything together without it turning into a fight.
That evening, I grilled the steaks and nuked a potato. I had a few beers as well. I was so proud that I took pictures and posted them on Facebook.
The trailer park owner evicted me, but I had a chance to use the grill several times before I had to leave. I didn’t use a grill again until I moved to South Carolina.
It was fun grilling again, but I was hot and tired before I was done
My wife and I lived in an apartment in Columbia. My wife’s family lives in a small town twenty miles from the city. We headed that way one Saturday.
We stopped at a store to buy hamburger meat and chicken. I also bought briquets and Charcoal lighter fluid. I spent a hot summer afternoon grilling for the family.
I remember thinking that hot summer afternoon, “ Dad would be amazed.” Dad didn’t think I could do anything without supervision. He went to his grave thinking I was “ Brain Damaged.”
I and dad couldn’t do anything together
I remember one day, my mom was still alive, I was going to fire up the grill and cook something, I think it was burgers. Dad came outside and ran me off.
He could have taught his oldest son how to grill, but that wasn’t his thing. It was my mom’s brother who taught me to grill. I don’t know if the dead are looking in on what is happening in this reality.
If they are watching, I know they would be proud of me
I often imagine my parents watching from wherever they are with pride. I have driven all over the country, the guy who never could find his way around.
I owned my place for seven years. I paid my bills and held a job. I did well, but circumstances and dumb mistakes lead to homelessness, but I got out of that.
I’m not as dumb as people thought
I have come a long way from the kid who grew into manhood thinking he was stupid and “ Brain Damaged.” The trick is, to develop with the changes life throws at you.
Try new things, and don’t believe what people tell you. The people who love you are the worst when it comes to negative programming.
Make your positive self-talk louder than the negative BS
If you listen to negative people, you will never grow into the person you are meant to be. So, grill those steaks, and take that solo road trip you always wanted to take.
I don’t understand why, but people will want to keep you down. Don’t let them do it. My regret in life is that I let other people define me.
You have the power to create your reality, not your parents or siblings. So, take risks and learn and grow. Please don’t waste years as I did.
Final thoughts:
So many of our problems are self-inflicted. We buy into the programming that started at a young age. Think about your past. Listen to what you say to yourself.
Change your way of thinking and change the words you say to yourself. You’re not slow, you’re not dumb. Get out there and enjoy life because you don’t have time to waste.
Take risks, grill those steaks and be happy.