The Connection

Come on in. Don't stand out there in the cold.

It's really pouring down today, isn't it?

Take your coat off. Take it off.

Here, just shake it off and hang it up.

Yeah, right there.

Make yourself at home.

It's the perfect kind of day for the kitchen.

The windows are fogged up with steam, and the only sound is the rain against the glass.

It feels like a little hideout in here.

I'm making a stew.

Something thick and warm for a day like this.

It's not ready yet, but getting there.

Cooking is mostly just waiting, really.

Waiting for things to soften.

Waiting for things to connect.

Come over here and check it out.

I'm just finishing the vegetables.

I need to cut them up.

Watch the knife.

Cut it up. Chop it up. Chop-chop-chop.

Right now, the carrots and onions are separate pieces.

Hard. Distinct. But that's going to change.

I'm going to throw them in.

Throw it in.

Into the big pot.

Put it in. Put it all in.

There we go.

Now they are all together in the dark.

Now, we need some heat.

I need to turn it on.

Turn the stove on. Click... whoosh. Light it up.

Can you hear the sizzle?

That's the oil meeting the water.

I need to stir it up. Stir it up.

Round and round. Round and round. Over and over.

Watch the colors start to change.

The onions are turning translucent.

They are losing their edges. They are giving it up.

Releasing their flavor. It's a transformation.

It's not just "onions" anymore.

It's becoming the "base."

Okay, now for the liquid.

I have this broth here. I'm going to pour it in.

Watch this. Pour it in. Fill it up. Fill it right up to the top.

Listen to the sound change.

From a sharp sizzle to a deep, low rumble.

Everything is swimming now.

The carrots, the onions, the spices...

they are floating together. Floating away.

They aren't touching the bottom anymore.

They are suspended.

And this is where the magic happens.

The connection.

You know, I think language is a lot like this stew.

People try to analyze it by cutting it into pieces.

"This is a verb. This is a noun."

They try to figure it out by taking it apart.

Take it apart.

But you can't understand soup by looking at a dry carrot.

The magic is in the mix.

When I say, "Mix it up," I don't stop between the words.

I don't say "Mix. It. Up."

I say "Mix-i-tup."

It flows together like the broth.

One continuous flavor.

If you keep the words separate, it's not English.

It's just a list.

You have to let it flow.

Let it go.

Smell that?

It's really coming together now.

I need to turn it down.

Turn the heat down.

If it's too hot, it will boil over.

We don't want it to boil over.

Just let it simmer. Simmer down.

Let it be.

Cooking teaches you patience.

You can't force the flavors to mix.

You just have to give it time.

The same with listening.

You can't force understanding.

You just sit with the sounds.

Let the meaning bubble up to the surface.

Bubble up. I'm going to taste it.

I need a spoon. Pick it up. Dip it in.

It's very hot. I need to cool it down.

Blow on it. Cool it down.

Mmm. That's good.

But maybe some pepper?

Yeah, let's add it in. Shake it in. Mix it in.

There. Balance.

You have to work it out as you go.

You know, think about it.

We are all kind of like ingredients in a big pot, aren't we?

All of us.

Some of us are spicy. Some of us are sweet.

But we are all in this soup together.

We flavor each other.

None of us stay the same.

We change each other.

And that's a good thing.

It's the connection that makes life rich.

Rich and thick and warm.

Okay, it's ready.

I'm going to turn it off.

Turn it off completely.

The bubbles slow down.

The steam rises gently.

I'm going to dish it out.

Dish it out into bowls.

One for me, one for you.

Here, take it.

Hold on to it.

Feel the heat coming through the bowl?

Drink it up.

Eat it up.

Don't rush.

Just enjoy it.

Feel it warming you from the inside.

It's liquid energy.

It's flowing into you, becoming part of you. Part of you.

Just listen to the rain for a moment.

It's still coming down out there.

But in here, it's warm.

In here, everything is connected.

The soup, the warmth, the conversation.

It's all one feeling.

Let's just wrap ourselves up in this feeling.

Wrap it up. Smooth. Liquid. Whole.

Just let it flow.