Via a post by “Sixty-Five” at Life Begins at Sixty-Five, I learned of an article by Alex Witchel in the New York Times featuring the famous chef, Jamie Oliver. The 35-year-old Mr. Oliver has been a one-person juggernaut in the world of cuisine. Mr. Witchel’s story is about Mr. Oliver going to a metropolitan area in West Virginia (US) noted for the high rates of obesity among its populace; there he will promote the pleasures of home-cooked food.
As Sixty-Five noted, an interesting subtext to the story is Mr. Oliver’s schooling experiences. Mr. Oliver’s success comes against a back drop of Learning Disabilities. Here’s a snippet from the Times article to illustrate:
If he were just a professional do-gooder, Oliver, who is 34, would be a bore. But food has given his life focus and meaning since childhood, and he has honored it ever since. Born and raised in Essex, northeast of London, Oliver, the son of a pub owner, grew up hyperactive and dyslexic. In school, he failed every subject except Art (he got an A) and Geology (a C).
There’s a lot to learn in the article (e.g., the strong support Mr. Oliver received from his parents), but here’s Sixty-Five’s take: “The simple lesson he provides? Know what you’re good at and stay away from what you’re bad at. That’s it. Food for thought.”
Links:
- Sixty-Five’s post.
- Mr. Oliver’s Web site
- Mr. Witchel’s Times article; and
- The Wikimedia source for the picture.
interesting read! Sometimes weaknesses in one area can lead to strengths in others
Alex, thanks for dropping a comment. Although I usually remove comments that, such as yours, are brief and carry a link to another Web site, I’ll let this one stand.
With regard to the content of your comment: I hesitate to ascribe a causal relationship between weaknesses and strengths, because I’ve seen few that can withstand serious scrutiny. So, I’ll be cautious with the “can lead to” wording. What is more, a hallmark of Learning Disabilities is uneven strengths in even more closely related domains. Many individuals with dyslexia, for example, are verbally quite capable and competent.