Progression (file under Thinking about the Future)

Menander of Athens once said; “The school of hard knocks is an accelerated curriculum” And quite frankly I couldn’t agree more. I am a massive lover of all things knowledge. Granted, as I look back on it there are a few subjects that I could’ve done without studying; like the minds of serial killers (I mean really, how often are they going to come up in conversation). However, I find on the whole that the pursuit and acquisition of knowledge is one of my greatest passions. The framing quote of this blog post, as set out above by Menander of Athens is a reference to the many obstacles and roadblocks that I have faced and overcome in my life. And it is absolutely true; if the school of hard knocks were not an accelerated curriculum it would instead be called light taps and that would throw the old adage right out the window.

I bring this up because as I was working on my prep today I found myself thinking of courses that I could take which would be relevant to the course that I am on but are not culinary. It did not take long before I found myself on the computer looking up what it takes to get your Sommeliers certification. Lo and behold I found the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS) Ontario Chapter (http://www.capsontario.ca/). By quickly going through the site I found myself looking at the curriculum at George Brown College.

What I found was that there are a total of eight courses that I need to take. The total hours involved is about two hundred in class and another one hundred or so out of class including thirty hours of stage. The approximate cost is around $3,000. At the time of writing this I am yet to apply to the program but by the time the week is out I will have.

I had mentioned this to the floor manager at work and he asked if I would like to get my SmartServe, to which, of course I said, I would be thrilled. So I am going to get my SmartServe in the next couple of weeks. I then asked when the next CPR course was and he said he wasn’t sure but he would be pleased to put my name at the top of the list.

I didn’t ever think that I would go back to school. But, I have been rethinking a lot of things that I said I would never do again lately. And I decided that because of the course that I am on it would be foolish of me not to gain as much knowledge and experience as I can, both in a class and practically in the real world.

This is very exciting to me. One of the big things standing in my way of doing certain courses has been money. However, The Club, will pay for all courses which are of benefit to the club as long as I get a 75% or higher. So not only have I landed in a job which I absolutely love but it is also giving me the opportunity to expand the breadth and depth of my knowledge which ultimately is a win for them and for me.

Lao Tzu once wrote; “Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment.”

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM