Old timer at the shop taught me something I still think about

I was breaking down a side of beef at my first real job in a shop off Burnside in Portland, maybe 8 years ago now. This old butcher named Frank grabbed my wrist and said "slow down, you're fighting the animal instead of working with it" and made me stand there for a full minute before I made another cut. Anybody else have a moment like that where a quieter voice stuck with you way longer than any boss yelling ever did?

3 comments

3 Comments

rodriguez.jordan29d ago

Ngl that's a solid life lesson right there. Frank knew what was up.

taylor_fox29d ago

@rodriguez.jordan, you're right - I wish I'd figured that out before my forties. Frank definitely had more sense than I did at that age.

taylor30528d ago

Fighting the animal" is exactly what you gotta do sometimes though. Beef doesn't just fall apart clean because you asked nicely, some cuts require real force and aggression to get through clean. Frank's zen approach sounds nice but I've seen way more meat ruined by timid butchers than by ones who just got in there and got the job done.