A Healthy Pace
“Auld Lang Syne” is an old traditional song that was orally shared until a Scot named Robert Burns sent it to a Scottish museum in the late 1700s. It gained momentum in the Western world and soon became a popular tune at New Year’s Eve, funerals, graduations, and farewells.
The song asks rhetorically whether it’s right that old times be forgotten. It also hints that one should recall old-standing relationships that have stood the test of time. In a world where people call each other “bestie” and that which is old is sometimes that which is dismissed or derided, the song is a great reminder that human connection still triumphs.
Music and Cooking
Music is a big part of Bex’s central, cozy kitchen, which produces food for its catering, cafe, art gallery, and more! A large, battle-worn poster of the A Star is Born remake hangs on the wall, and the kitchen will be filled with the sounds of anything from Anthrax to zydeco at any given moment. “I use music to focus on a project and go into a zone,” explains Chef Becky. She especially favors country music and song stories.
Staying Sane By Slowing Down
“At the holidays I’ve been thinking especially of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and how apropos it is for these crazy-fast, strange times we’re experiencing,” Executive Assistant Chris Callahan notes. “The song itself just oozes history and a slower pace of life, based more on face-to-face connection and a healthy respect for what has gone before.”
“Another cool thing about the song is how it has been covered and personalized by so many musicians over time, including Beethoven, and yet it remains at root a folk song, by, for, and of the people,” says Callahan. 
Slow Food and Slow Songs
Despite temptations to cut corners with premade mixes, robotic automation, or 3D-printed food (yes, a real thing!), Chef Becky sticks to her guns. “Just like the song, we do things in a time-honored way at Bex,” she remarks. “Believe me, in a fast-paced industry like the food industry, it’s tempting to go faster and faster with less humanization, but I think people are starved for humanization after the pandemic and the way technology has come to dominate our lives. A home-cooked meal still does wonders for the soul, and it is more important than ever to remember that input equals output regarding the human body. If you put in healthy, whole, high-quality ingredients, you get anti-inflammatory effects and just a better overall feeling. I’m not a fancy chef with four acronyms after my name– my mom taught me how to cook and make food that’s just plain old-fashioned good, with an artistic twist and sourced locally as much as possible.”
In the End, it’s All About the Food
Bex doesn’t like preachiness and will never serve you coffee with heavyhanded messages in the foam; we just like to nourish the people. But food, music, and community all swirl together, and we hope that in one of the densest, fastest-paced states in the nation, you can find time to take a deep cleansing breath, appreciate what’s good in life, and go into the new year with hope and resolve.
We wish you well and send you best wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year.
