Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Theo and I went to another diaper days movie in honor of his two month birthday (really, in honor of my deep love of movies and coincidentally on his two month birthday). There were only 3 other moms there, which means that a Japanese documentary about sushi is apparently not appealing to many people with babies. But it was so good! The only problem with watching a subtitled film with a baby is that when the baby needs some attending to, you miss out on what’s happening, because you have to stop reading. But never mind--I still loved it. It was broadly about family, cultural norms, reputations, work, art and of course, sushi.

My most prevalent thoughts while watching it were about the importance of working at becoming better at something that is meaningful to you. NWB and I had just discussed how painting will never again be at the level it was during the Renaissance (that is to say, off the hook!) because we live in such a fast-paced, money-driven society that no patron would support an artist for 10 years while they worked on their art. We want profits and time can hinder that. Also, no one (well, maybe there are SOME people) wants art for the sake of beauty/creation anymore. If there were such a patron, I imagine they’d want some sort of payback in the end. I read Just Kids this summer about Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe and HE had a patron (who also happened to be his lover).

I was also trying to figure out what careers take on the tones of an art (those that will never be finished/perfect or have an end, but should always move forward in some way. Also, the kinds of careers at which one changes how it’s done in a creative way). Obviously the arts and cooking fit the mold. I also thought that being an academic/researcher, doctor and teacher fit the mold. They are the only professions I can think of that have so many years of training and/or working to get better. Most professions have a one month/6 month/whatever training period and then the job stays the same, or at least doesn’t change that much.

Anywhoo, here’s a cute picture of Theo sleeping. (he looks kind of small, but he's almost 12 pounds and long (my estimate is 24 inches)).