Many people on Twitter (and the like) are complaining about frivolous food Tweets in the face of the tragedy unfolding in Boston. Time Out New York theater critic Adam Feldman, though, ReTweeted a quote from Leonard Bernstein that echoes my feelings precisely: “This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.”
Small things don’t matter less in the face of tragic events like these; they matter more. To stop doing the things that we do–to stop creating our work, whether we’re bakers or bloggers or musicians or painters–is to render the terrorism more effective. We must help those who were directly harmed in any way we can; but silencing those who are trying to return to some kind of normalcy is misguided at best, sanctimonious at worst.
I say: continue sharing your recipes, your stories, your small gestures of normalcy in the face of tragic events. Those cookies you see in the picture are Armenian almond cookies called Nazook. We ate them outside, yesterday, on a friend’s porch while sipping tea. 24 hours later, the world feels darker but going back to that moment brightens things up for a second.
Thoughts and prayers to everyone in Boston right now. If there’s anything Amateur Gourmet readers can do to help, let us know in the comments.
I love what you wrote here…So True and I agree…The smallest things most take for Granted mean the most in the heart in order to have a Good and Meaningful life…Lori
I think it’s just jarring for people to look through their twitter feeds (which we usually use to amuse us but quickly turn to as a news source in times like these) to see information about Boston, Boston, Boston, CUPCAKES!, Boston, Boston, Boston, etc. I posted and then ultimately deleted a few silly items because I wanted to give 24 hours for people to get information before going back to regular chatter, but I respect it either way.
Wonderful! I completely agree with you on this one. While I understand when people set everything down to mourn, I also believe that we should continue to do what we love and keep hope for ourselves that things will be okay.
Thank you for this Adam! I am in 100% agreement and if you hear of any ways to help, please let me know
Frivolity too soon is disrespectful. Yes, we need to celebrate the small things, but respect for the pain and loss of the people in Boston is important, too. Tweeting/posting happy/bouncy/cheerful news is a slap in the face right now.
So true. People that do these horrible things want to intimidate and our gestures of normalcy take away their power. Of course, we’re saddened and appalled, but also strong. Clearly those responsible know nothing about Bostonians or Americans. I would love to see the food bloggers feature their favorite Boston recipes this week.
I’m no fan of GWBush, but after 9/11 he said ‘our response will be to go about our business as usual’ and that has stuck with me. If we stop doing the things we love, or are obligated to complete, the bad guys win.
To some extent I agree with your sentiment. But in Boston, we can’t return to normalcy yet. There are armed guards outside the hospital I work in. The person or people responsible haven’t been identified. To echo a commenter below, seeing ‘frivolity’ at a time like this is just jarring.
I disagree. It’s better to take a day off from tweeting your entree to either not say anything or to message support. It’s about respect. At least wait until the day after to show your Facebooks friends your favorite new cake recipe.
continuing to find joy in the aftermath of a tragedy does not mean we care less. it means we continue to hope, to find meaning, to live. prayers and thoughts and deep compassion for those in Boston. we cannot let go of our hope and our joy, even when we feel such deep sorrow.
Thank you for the sane thoughts Adam