Aloha Bread Lovers
Weather permitting we will be serving up steaming hot bowls of Hummus Masabacha on Sunday. For those who don’t know or don’t remember – we take a bunch of excellent chick peas (born and bred in the Polouse Valley, WA), soak them overnight, cook them up and serve them warm, mixed with Al-Arz tahini (amazing tahini made from sesame seeds from Ethiopia, grown the traditional way (we sell it raw at the bakery), a hard-boiled egg, olive oil, a tangy lemon-garlic sauce and a pita to swipe it up with. It’s a dish that you will find across the Middle East, and now in Kohala! AND, we will have our Uke Jammers back in full force now that Gordon has his car back. Again, all of this is weather dependent – we will let you know of any changes.
As of this writing (Friday, August 21st) Motek has power but at home we are still in the dark and based on HECO’s update, it may be quite a while until we get it back. Like the little engine that could, our small Honda generator (about 40 yrs. old – no spring chicken) has been working non-stop for a week keeping our fridges and freezers at home alive and well. I went to True Value to pick up a spare spark plug having noticed that the current plug is a bit worn. Apparently Kohala likes Honda as they were all out of the plug that Honda’s use. So of course, I complained about the situation. In fact, in spite of being generally optimistic, I have noticed that I have been complaining quite a bit lately, as have many of our customers. This of course led me to ask ChatGPT about the health benefits of complaining. Believe it or not, there are. This is what came up:
Complaining in moderation can benefit your health by providing emotional release, lowering stress through human connection, and helping you process frustration instead of suppressing it. Strategic venting externalizes pressure and can lead to practical problem-solving. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Mental and Emotional Relief
Releases built-up tension: Voicing your frustrations stops negative emotions from looping endlessly inside your head.
Validates feelings: Acknowledging that a situation is unfair prevents the low life satisfaction that comes from bottling up pain.
Avoids suppression harm: Holding back all grievances creates long-term emotional strain and isolation. [1, 2, 3]
Social and Problem-Solving Perks
Builds connection: Shared gripes foster camaraderie and remind you that you are not alone in your struggle.
Inspires action: Instrumental complaints with a clear goal can encourage outside help, new perspectives, and positive changes. [1, 2, 3]
When Complaining Becomes Unhealthy
Triggers stress loops: Chronic rehashing without an endpoint is rumination, which floods the body with stress hormones like cortisol.
Trains the brain for negativity: Habitual complaining reinforces negative neural pathways, making distress your default mindset. [1, 2, 3]
So, there you have it Bread Lovers – it’s O.K to complain and contrary to what I was taught, it might even be beneficial!!
Mahalo – David and Yael
P.S. – A Joke: WARNING – CLICK ON THIS LINK AT YOUR OWN PERIL: https://www.oldjewstellingjokes.com/2018/12/19/nancy-shaw-the-bagpiper-486
