La Dolce Far Niente

Eat.Pray.Love; a romantic novel by Elizabeth Gilbert and feel-good movie that you’ve probably watched before starring one of my all-time favourite actresses, Julia Roberts. This isn’t, as many think, what our shop is named after. Before I dive into the film and why a scene from this recently challenged and inspired me, I’ll first explain how our shop, Earth.Food.Love got it’s name…

In 2014 Rich was playing for NewYork Redbulls and I had recently qualified to teach English as a Foreign Language (E.F.L). I fell into this role by doing an English Literature degree, then moving to Canada and getting a job as an activity-coordinator at an English summer camp, which then led me to want to teach at the summer camp, which then led me to going to college in Canada and becoming certified. Then a move to USA happened and I landed a job teaching adults English as a Second Language in a homeless shelter and the local library. It was very similar to a line of dominoes falling, it just happened as each thing fell into the next thing and before I knew it, I was on a trajectory to teach English as a career and as much as I loved my students, I didn’t love the job. We were getting a coffee one day from Empire coffee in Hoboken, which was a dreamy, 90s, old-school coffee place that made me feel like I was in the set of FRIENDS. Anyway, walking home with our coffee, I said ‘I just wish EFL stood for something I was passionate about, such as, I don’t know…the earth, food and well, love’. In that moment Earth.Food.Love was born. It began as a food-focused Instagram where I shared recipes/life style tips etc. 3 years later we were re-locating to Devon and opening a zero waste shop, I KNEW straight away it had to be called Earth.Food.Love even though from a business stand point it didn’t make sense as it didn’t fully advertise what we were (such as the zero waste shops now open called; scoop, refillery, less waste etc…) So even though it often gets called Eat.Pray.Love by people, I don’t mind. I fully support my oh-so-personal shop name that connects my 3 favourite things; this earth, our food and my love for both!

Anyway, back to Julia Roberts. Even though I’d seen it previously, watching it again this year was when I picked up on the hairdresser’s scene in Italy. Her Italian friend is telling her that Americans don’t enjoy anything, that everything is advertising and money and being told what should bring you pleasure. Whereas they, the Italians, have a saying, ‘La Dolce Far Niente’…which roughly translates to ‘the sweetness of doing NOTHING’. Roberts then goes onto practice this art herself, starting with going on a solo date to feast on a delicious bowl of spaghetti, which she does with such intensity and such focus that you can see the pleasure it brings her in that moment.

The first time I watched this movie I was in university and I don’t even recall that scene. Maybe it’s because my life wasn’t as full, my main concern being to work out how much of my wage should be on my food shop and how much should be saved for alcohol, oh and my assignments and their deadlines of course (huh hmm!) I basically wasn’t as conscious about mindfulness (and happiness) as I am now. Well, fast-forward 10 years and it really caught my attention this time. As soon as the film was over, I headed to the internet and had a little search to learn more. Since the release of the film, there has been a couple of books released as people are so (rightly) intrigued by this Italian phenomenon. Being a sucker for challenges and all things self-help/self-care I had to give it a go.

It’s hard. It really is. It is so alien to our culture, to our go-go-go mindset we are told will make us happy. I soon realised I was always D O I N G something; even if I disguised it as ‘mindful’ or ‘relaxing’, I escaped moments by trying to improve them, or myself. Examples being; always listening to a podcast in the bath, reading a book in a coffee shop or writing a to-do list whilst listening to music. I was determined to become at ease with this concept, to make it a part of my life. Back to the internet I go finding different accounts of how Italians themselves describe this beautiful concept and how they naturally incorporate it into their lives…

• ‘…the essence of doing nothing and enjoying it. Nothingness is that pleasant experience of enjoying time going by, letting your thoughts take over…’
• ‘…live to celebrate with good wine and a plate of pasta…’
• ‘…whilst you drink coffee and watch a passer-by…’

I was mortified at the idea of sitting with my own thoughts, but also desperate to experience it more. And if there’s anything I’m good at, it’s a challenge. So, little by little I started doing nothing, more often. My favourite by far is having a coffee or tea and doing JUST that. I’ve become quite precious about it actually, as I know now that in reading/talking whilst having my hot drink, it can suddenly be gone and I don’t remember tasting it! Life’s too precious to not taste your tea, folks. For a reality check, this isn’t with every hot drink (most don’t even get to stay hot as I get distracted with doing something else), but I aim to have one hot drink a day where I do sweet nothingness- and it’s bliss! Another way I incorporate it is to sometimes just sit down and look out the window/door, this might not sound too radical to some people but I’m so active and such a high achiever that I’m always doing something at home; preparing dinner, doing laundry, rinsing my alfalfa sprouts, watering the plants, writing lists, packing/unpacking bags…honestly if I wore one of those fitness watches it would flash at me to sit down. It’s also a challenge with two little children at home, because if you dare sit down in their presence, you’re an automatic climbing frame/librarian/architect for their train set or personal assistant to whatever it is they’re creating. But here’s the thing, they’re benefitting from me doing nothing as well. I simply say ‘I’m just doing nothing right now; I will help you shortly…why don’t you join me?’ and voila we have a moments stillness where we all taste the sweetness of nothing.

Intrigued? Try it this week; pour a drink… smell it, taste it, enjoy it.

People watch.

Or don’t do any of that and simply do, nothing.