Brooks & Crowley - August 2020

Brooks & Crowley - August 2020

Review Brooks & Crowley

August 2020

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www.brooksandcrowley.com

439 Washington Street Dedham, MA 02026

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FRIENDSHIP STARTS WITH YOU How Self-Discovery Leads to Stronger Friendships

Friendship Week is in the third week of August, and I think Steve and I could tell you plenty about how important friendship is to living your best life. As many of you know, we were law school roommates many years ago. There’s a loose definition of friendship I’ve always loved: “A friend is a person who knows you for who you really are ... and likes you anyway.” Nobody’s perfect. But it’s even harder to have real friendships when you’re unsure about who you are. We have to pay attention because self-insight can come from the most unexpected places. When I was about 20 years old, I traveled to Ireland for a vacation to see family with my parents, a brother and sister-in-law. After a week or so, I traveled to London alone to stay with more family who had emigrated to England from Ireland years before. Some of them I had only met briefly and others not at all. I didn’t realize what a journey of self-discovery that would be for me. I couldn’t believe how similar I was to my family there. After I arrived, one of my uncles told me pretty quickly, “I have to bring you to Uncle Ray’s house.” We arrived and knocked. As soon as Uncle Ray opened the door, I realized the guy looked exactly like me! He stared at me like I was a ghost.

My relatives took me in like I was one of their own (I was) but they didn’t know me. They did nothing but look out for me. They seemed to know my tendencies and even what my parents’ expectations were. When I forgot to visit a relative, one of my aunts took me out in the rain on my last night there to make sure it happened. It was a great visit that I will never forget. The longer I spent time with my family there, the more I realized, “Wow, I really make a lot of sense as a person now.” We shared many of the same personality traits — including several I had questioned about myself. After that trip, I was more sure in my relationships with others because I felt like I knew myself better. Over the years, I have stayed in touch with those witty, direct (and good looking) relatives. I suppose being able to trust people makes being a friend easier. If you spend your life trying to figure out everyone’s angle, you’ll never be able to enjoy anyone’s company.

Thinking strategically is necessary in a legal case, but there are no perfect people, just like there is no perfect case. If you hold onto the small stuff, you never give people a chance to show who they really are. Trust them until they prove otherwise. You’ll naturally attract people like you and repel those who don’t share the same philosophies. That’s okay. When people would disagree with how a buddy of mine would act, he would simply say, “Being me isn’t for everyone; that’s why they only let me do it.” He was secure in himself. Being yourself will always be a risk, but it can lead to your most meaningful relationships. It’s tough because you’ll get burned once in a while, but at least you’ll know who is — or isn’t — a waste of time. As Oscar Wilde said, “Be yourself; everyone else is taken.” –Neil Crowley

“Hey, who do you think this guy looks like?” my uncle asked him, pointing to me.

“Oh my goodness. I have to say me!” he said, confused.

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National Chefs Appreciation Week Celebrates Those Who Bring Communities Together

Restaurants have had an especially tough time staying afloat during the pandemic. Most eateries had to discontinue dine-in service, and those that couldn’t adapt to offering takeout or delivery may still be questioning whether they’ll ever be able to open their doors again. During the

Week is a great way to let the chefs who run those eateries know just how much they mean to us. WHAT IS IT? Since the holiday’s inception in 2013, it has most commonly occurred during the third week of August; this year, it’s August 16–22. Restaurants, patrons, and home cooks alike can show appreciation for the art and dedication chefs bring to their craft every day. Several restaurants across the country celebrate with special events and menus, and patrons flock to their favorite places for great food and company and to support the chefs who bring their communities together. HOWCAN I CELEBRATE? Now that many restaurants are opening back up for service at a limited capacity, it’s possible to dine in and further support the chefs who

make the food you love. But, if you’re still not comfortable eating at a restaurant, there are plenty of other ways to celebrate. Continue having food delivered or picking up curbside from your favorite places. Whether dining in or carrying out, remember to tip well! You can also post about your favorite dishes on social media or leave a glowing review for your favorite eatery on Google or Yelp. The beauty of this holiday is that celebrating includes doing activities you probably already do, so it’s easy to participate. Chefs play a significant role in the evolution of culture, protection of tradition, and construction of community. Their food brings us together, fills our stomachs, and brightens our moods. We may not have fully recognized all they do for us until recently, but now that we have, we can truly celebrate Chefs Appreciation Week to the fullest.

pandemic, it became clear to many of us just how important a role our favorite restaurants play in providing not just tasty chow, but also a sense of comfort and community. Celebrating National Chefs Appreciation

Meanwhile, the Ex-Chairman of Google Is Discovering Ancient Sea Life

Nobody knew what slept in the depths of the Coral Sea, located east of Australia — until now. Science and exploration can overcome any obstacle, even those set by a worldwide pandemic. For the first time worldwide, the Schmidt Ocean Institute, founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt — the former chairman of Google and his wife — set off on a remote expedition due to the coronavirus pandemic. Between late April and mid-June, a team of eight Australian scientists linked wirelessly from their homes, safely operating the Schmidt Institute’s research vessel Falkor. How would they describe the experience so far? “[It’s blown] our minds,” Robin Beaman of James Cook University, the expedition’s chief scientist, told The New York Times. “We’ve gone from literally knowing nothing to knowing a lot.”

The centerpiece of the ship is nearly the length of a football field, armed with technology that can map distant seabeds using sound frequencies, and deploys tethered and autonomous robots to take close-up pictures deep within the unknown waters. Their remote setup allows for scientists to communicate with the ship’s crew, conduct sea-floor mapping, and stream live videos from the Falkor’s command-ready robots. So far, they’ve mapped more than 13,000 square miles of seabed (for context, bigger than the state of Massachusetts) and found “submarine canyons, dune fields, submerged reefs, and massive landslides.” They’ve also found incredible, complex fossils that go back a half-billion years, a gelatinous creature that’s over 150 feet in length (potentially the world’s longest oceanic species), 10 new species of fish, snails, and sponges, and the maps and images they’ve gathered are still revealing more.

Dr. Beaman says the discoveries from this expedition have only begun. We hope there are many more to come!

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Battling Mental Hurdles 3 Habits Entrepreneurs Use to Excel During COVID-19

THEY PRACTICE CREATING. You don’t have to wait for inspiration to strike. Cultivate creativity by making something every day, even if it has nothing to do with your projects at work. Doodle during lunch, sing along to the radio during your drive home, or write a few sentences of a short story each night. Don’t worry about whether these personal projects are “good.” Just focus on bringing them into the world. Practice makes perfect. If you believe that creativity is something that only a select few are born with, then you might find yourself struggling to be imaginative during difficult times. However, when you view it as a skill you can strengthen, you’ll develop habits to see you through what might otherwise be a creative drought.

Why did some companies thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic while others had to shut their doors forever? The answer is simple: Successful companies embraced creative solutions to overcome the obstacles of the shelter-in-place orders. Creativity is key to a profitable business. Innovative problem-solving is how business leaders come up with new ideas, address unexpected issues, and inspire their teams during difficult times. Here are a few habits that resourceful entrepreneurs share.

the calendar already. Reducing daily decisions gives you more time to think about what matters and helps you dedicate more of your mental energy to solving problems or refining big ideas. THEY TAKE TIME TO RECHARGE. This doesn’t mean spending all day watching Netflix. Recharging your imagination is an active process. If you’re feeling creatively drained, go to a place that inspires you. This could mean taking a walk around a park, going on a hike in the woods, or visiting your local library. Immersing yourself in others’ ideas can also help recharge your creative batteries. Swing by an art museum, pick up a new book, or treat yourself to a solo movie date. Ask yourself why a particular piece of art inspires you, what makes it worthwhile, and if you would have done anything differently.

THEY MAKE A SCHEDULE. Though it may sound counterintuitive,

LAUGH OUT LOUD structuring your day actually improves your ability to be creative. Establishing a schedule in advance allows you to avoid having to make small, inconsequential decisions. You won’t be distracted by wondering when you’ll get lunch or if you’re missing a big meeting. It’s all on

Weeknight Curried Apple Pork Chops

Ingredients

• • • • • •

2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee

• •

2 tbsp hot curry powder

1 cup onion, diced 1 tbsp garlic, crushed

3 cups diced apples (peeled or not, your choice!)

1 tsp ginger, finely chopped

• •

6 pork chops

1 tsp salt

Cilantro, roughly chopped

1/2 cup water or apple juice

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. 2. In a large pan over medium heat, melt coconut oil or ghee. 3. Add onions, garlic, ginger, and salt. Sauté for 10 minutes or until onions are soft and mixture is fragrant. 4. Mix in water or apple juice and curry powder. Then add apples, ensuring they get coated in sauce. 5. In an oven-safe dish, arrange pork chops, cover with sauce and apple mixture, and cook for 20 minutes (if using bone-in chops, cook for an additional 10 minutes) or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145 F. 6. Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!

Inspired by The Primal Desire

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

439 Washington Street Dedham, MA 02026 Inside This Issue

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Friendship Starts With You

2

Celebrate National Chefs Appreciation Week

Meanwhile, the Ex-Chairman of Google Is Discovering Ancient Sea Life

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Cultivating Creativity to Optimize Efficiency in 3 Steps

Weeknight Curried Apple Pork Chops

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Good News From Around Boston

Good News From Around Boston Curbside Trivia and Urban Gardening

Even when bad news seems to find us without having to do much looking for ourselves, we can still be thankful that good news is out there for those who know where to look. Amidst riots, violence, and the ever- present COVID-19 pandemic, we at Brooks & Crowley want to remind you to look for that good news by sharing a few good-news stories with you. And while these stories may be from a few months ago, we don’t believe good news has an expiration date. CURBSIDE TRIVIA Speaking of knowing where to look, apparently some good news can be found just by looking at a stranger’s apartment window. When Boston’s bars shut down all those months ago, our communities didn’t just lose a place where they could get a drink — they lost a place where they could gather with friends and compete against one another in a round of bar trivia. East Somerville roommates Lauren Carter and Nicole Purcell did what they could to replicate bar trivia in the COVID-19 era. Each week, they would write a trivia question on a chalk board and put it in their window, with a phone number to text an answer to, for passersby to see

on their daily strolls. While it might not be bar trivia, the same desire for competition and camaraderie definitely fueled what the roommates called “Curbside Trivia.” URBAN GARDENING Even before the pandemic, Yasser Aponte grew carrots, snap peas, raspberries, lettuce, and other kinds of produce on a 2-acre plot in the middle of Dorchester. His garden is owned and managed by The Food Project, a nonprofit organization that gets fresh produce to Bostonians everywhere. Since the coronavirus hit in earnest, Aponte’s work has grown more urgent than ever, as he works to make sure people in his neighborhood still get the foods they need to stay happy and healthy. It’s not the kind of work that will go away after the pandemic, but it’s the kind of work we desperately need right now — and we’re happy people in our community are stepping up to the challenge.

Be sure to read our next newsletter for more good news!

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