Spiritual Pizza

    I just attended a family function to send off one of the family to the great beyond. It's amazing how after not seeing people you know for some 20 to 30 years they have already learned that you make pizza. After the hello's and how are you's the conversation always reverts to: I hear you make pizza and tell me about your pizza making.  Now, had they been reading any part of the blog that has been available at their doorstep over the past couple of months they would know more than just that. I know some people tell me what a huge waste of time it must be to write a blog and what a huge waste of time it would be to read one. Would Emerson's or Thoreau's blog been a waste of time? Would Uncle Tom's Cabin been any less effective had it been a blog?  Either way, that's when I say that when you are on a journey the road is sometimes flat and lonely but other times it is ripe with adventure, mystery and surprises. They also won't get invited over for pizza. Ha ha! It kind of reminds me when a certain nephew use to stay with us for a couple of weeks in the summer. He would want to stop at every comic book store there was and every one that we would see. After a couple of those I had to put my foot down and ask him a simple question while holding the car keys up in the air. I would say, "Who has the power Aaron?" He would say, "You do Uncle Vince". He knew Uncle Vince had reached his quota and patience level. He, who has the pizza, has the power? I could indulge his passion, but only to a certain point. Thus it is with a blog.
    What some people see as junk, others will see as treasure. I have also extended invitations to certain people, who, after 5 times, with an excuse each time, I will not invite them anymore. I am happy to share my blog about my journey with those who are interested and my pizza with those who are hungry and talk pizza with those who want to share some knowledge and experience. However, I am not going to force it down anyone. The journey isn't pizza, that's just a vehicle to take us on a journey.

   The blog is for those who like to share and like a journey. It can be for those who like pizza as well. I am reminded of the the comment I made earlier in this series of blogs that pizza is a communal bread in a sense. It is a sharing of food and life experiences. It reminds me of the book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. That book was a book that made the reader feel that they were traveling with them on their adventure, but the reader, at certain points starts to question if it had anything do do with motorcycle maintenance, but more to do with life. Then the reader will question whether or not there was really a journey on bikes but maybe only in their minds. One of my brothers that does not and will not read this blog mentioned that it's a shame we, as a family, don't have a community type of sharing going on where we can all add our 2 cents worth to and communicate with others on a non intimate level. I just had to laugh and say to him that we do and you have chosen to not be a part of it. I, for one, have connected with numerous people whom I have never met as well as friends and relatives from the past and present. Some of these stories go out to people who can relate to my stories and have similar ones as well. That is the zen and the pizza is the art that goes into it. Feel free to leave me a comment, some feedback or whatever is on your mind. Many of the responses I have gotten so far are so enthusiastic and full of good energy and I thank you!

    Albert Grande talks about spiritual pizza. At first I thought he was talking about pizza as soul food. As this journey continues I wonder if the pizza is only the vehicle that carries the soul of friendship, knowledge, connectivity, humor, and passion, not to mention the taste that it can deliver and the satisfaction to all, once consumed. He has asked the biggies in the industry of pizza making, the Legends of Pizza, what makes your pizza so good? One of the answers came back from Chris Bianco of Pizza Bianco in Phoenix that Albert thinks maybe he ( Chris Bianco) might be the one ingredient that nobody can duplicate. I think that may very well be the answer. The pizza I make may be science but the passion I put into it is creation. The sharing of the pizza whether by word or by consumption becomes spiritual.