Welcome!!
That word welcome in the dictionary is defined as "being received with pleasure and hospitality into one's company or home" or "to cordially or willingly permit or invite"
And you might say to "What am I being welcomed to?'
Well I am glad you asked! But before I tell you, allow me to introduce myself.
My name is Joseph Harris and I am 27 years old. As I state in my welcome page, I am what most people would call a "FOODIE." I wear that title with a proud sense. How I became to be what one could consider a "foodie" started growing up in my Grandmothers house. I would watch her cook these amazing dishes in her little kitchen that had only 1 small gas stove and oven. The counter space in the kitchen was so small that she sat 3 stools beside it to feed my siblings and I 3 little mouths. The decor of her kitchen was reminiscent of a rustic country style beeming from an old world era of which she grew up in being raised in Virginia. The smell of Fried Chicken or Spaghetti, she would always fix for us, would echo from this kitchen and ALWAYS smelled phenomenal. I can never recall one dish she made being a flop. She treated us like 2 like royalty. She also had a catering business and would get up really early in the morning (sometimes 3 and 4 am) to begin peeping some of the orders she would have to make for that day. One day I decided to get up from bed because I was curious to see what she was doing. I came into the kitchen to see her chopping up onions on her cutting board and hear the sound of a food processor blending up green peppers or celery, which I could smell from our bedroom, for her famous potato salad. I asked her could I help. She responded back, with the term I started this blog off with, a WELCOME, and said willingly "YES!!" . To be honest, I did not experience something divine or have an internal knowing or sense that came during this experience but one thing I do know is that it left a mark in me. It was here that a seed was planted in my heart. In that welcome, my passion, desire, and love for food was birthed.
Not too long afterwards, I was getting ready to graduate from 5th grade and they were having a graduation ceremony. It was our schools custom to have all the graduating students come up to the microphone and share what the would like to grow up to be in life. Of course there were the typical "I want to be a doctor, teacher, etc…" but I had decided that I wanted to be a police officer (to which my mother was not in agreement with). As I stood backstage preparing to go out, the thought of Julia Child and her cooking show popped in my head. I pushed the thought off and resolved that I would be a police man. As I approached the microphone I opened my mouth and out came " I want to be a professional tv cook"! Destiny again collided with me but this time on my tongue In that moment I realize now that the reality of what God had pre designed for my life started to take shape and come forth!
You might be saying "Joseph, why did you share that story? What does that have to do with me!!"
Let me be the first to say (like my Grandmother)…."Welcome!"
To what? A series in life to which I pray you will learn what LOVE, PASSION, and LIFE is all about! "How does that revolve around food?" Food is a form of life. Its not life itself but it was put here to help nurture, cultivate, heal, and grow us into who we are today.
My prayer is that as you read this blog, view "Not Your Average Joe" YouTube Channel, and see amazing pictures of not just food but lives experiences you will encounter LOVE and be left with the greatest passion for life and all that it can offer!!
So once again I say "Welcome" to a journey from being ordinary to extraordinary!! Make this confession over yourself…"I am NOT YOUR AVERAGE JOE!!!"