Chef Jeff Henderson - Term Paper Example

There are so many aspects in life that shapes the way we live. Life is complex and presents many uncertainties, which are basically part of normal living. It is imperative that individuals should realize that sometimes it can happen that when things are difficult, then that is the time when things are emerging to be better. A wise saying that the darkest hour of the night comes just before dawn, complements this poposition. There are many living testimonies of individuals whose lives have gone haywire at some point but later came to reform and transformed the world. One key individual is Chef Jeff Henderson who realized his passion and picked his cooking skills from the prison. Today, he has a number of books that he has authored and he is a motivational speaker while also serving as an executive chef. Through Jeff’s live story we are able to learn that when we think we are rising we may be falling and when we think we are falling we may be rising. Henderson’s childhood was a chaotic one and one that was characterized by indiscipline and crime. Jeff faced various challenges that made him engage in crime as a young boy. On several occasions, he found himself behind bars. At one point, his behavior almost cost his life; he was stabbed in the chest while a sixteen-year boy when there was a gang conflict in which he was involved. Apart from engaging in the gang, he also became a drug dealer at a time that he relocated from his home in Los Angeles to San Diego. He would not go far before he was caught distributing illegal narcotics by the San Diego authorities. The life in prison that took almost a decade was a real life transformation for a man who had engaged in all manner of criminal activities. There is no permanent state in life, when things get to the levels that one least expects, they may be working for their good. In the case scenario of Jeff, when things had gone out of his control, that is the point when his redefining moment came. Being in jail presented a moment of frustration, incapability to do anything and a general state of hopelessness., despite all this, this is the time that Chef Jeff met his right opportunity that he had not anticipated in all of his life. In the prison, he was assigned the task of cleaning dishes where he was able to meet his opportunity. H did not view his situation with a pessimistic eye, instead he was positive and yearned to learn more despite being in the prison. Meeting a fellow inmate, Friendly Womack was the turning point for Jeff. In the prison kitchen, Friendly mentored Jeff in cooking. He developed a passion in cooking and developed his prowess in cooking. This illustrates that at the point at which one least expects to realize their talent or their opportunity, then that is the time when the opportunity knocks. Hs state was slowly transforming, an indicator that at one point his life would transform for good. Jeff Henderson did not allow the stigma of being an ex-criminal to prevent him from reaching his dreams when he was released from prison. Recidivism is an act that is prevalent among many criminals. However, for the case of Jeff, he had realized a passion. His life would be transformed through cooking. In addition to being an ex-con, he was a black American hence racism could easily succumb to the racism that has been experienced in some spheres of the society. He stepped boldly into cooking and he wanted to make a profession out of it. He would move to Las Vegas after his release from prison, where he became an executive chef. Jeff beat odds and became a chef without any formal training. To make the story even more impressive, he rose through the ranks to become an executive chef at the Bellagio, breaking the record of being the first black-American executive chef. In addition to cooking, he began writing books, one being Cooked, which elevated him to a stature of New York Times bestselling author. At the point at which an individual feels that things have gone wrong, then it serves as the restoration moment. Jeff composed his memoirs in the book, Cooked, he as not sure of the reception. He reveals his story of crime and the motivation to reach high goals. In chapter six of the book, he reveals that his life was not all rosy after the release from the prison, “I’d been looking for work for more than a month” (Jeff 60). However, he points out that despite the challenges, all would be well at some point. He states that, “rising from dishwasher at a small restaurant to sous-chef at one of the most prestigious kitchens in L.A”. This indicates that after his release from the prison, he had a hard time getting a job and the job he got was not pleasant. However, he became patient and made it to be an executive chef. Despite having a job, he was still persuaded to have his own kitchen, an aspect that he pursued but some politics left him without a job and some means to sustain him leave alone establish his own kitchen. The fact that he was a convicted felon made many employers to overlook his skills at the expense of his involvement in crime. This was a challenging moment for Jeff. He had served in Los Angeles best kitchens but they could never hear anything of that sort. He notes in, Cooked, that nobody cared whether he had a family that he wanted to take care of. it all proved difficult and complicated for him. His cooking resume always attracted the employers but the mere mention of the involvement in drug trafficking made them change their opinions towards him instantly. All was not lost for Jeff despite the long search for a job that could sustain him and his family. He showed up at Caesars Palace, which reminded him of his days back as a drug dealer. This time round he had come for a purpose, to find an opportunity to utilize his cooking skills. On the eve of his interview at the Caesars Palace, he visited the hotel and sought to get more information about their services. His moment came to be tried before the interviewer at the hotel. He was asked to prepare a meal of six. Through his research and interrogation of the restaurant, he was pretty aware of what he could prepare. Jeff became the first chef de cuisine of the African descent in Caesars palace. He also went to several other restaurants where he demonstrated his prowess in cooking including at Bellagio. Through this section of story we get to realize that despite the bad start in working and the accompanying stigma, his perseverance and prowess earned him a job that helped him build a reputation. His life was now completely changed, he made a deliberate decision to leave café Bellagio in 2006. He came up with the book, Cooked, which helped him expand on his earnings, inspire generations as well as advance in his career. The book hit the market by becoming a best seller. His star would shine even more after receiving recognition from various television channels as well as radio programs. He came to appear in some of the respected shows in the United States including the Oprah Winfrey Show, CNBC, USA Today and Good Morning America among others. he was able to establish his own company, The Henderson Group. He travels throughout the United States to give motivational talks and has been considered as a speaker in various forums. In addition, he can be found through his online platform, Chef Jeff Live. In conclusion, the Jeff Henderson is a real inspiration to many. His rise from grass to grace is a confirmation of the saying, “when we think were rising in life, were really falling, and when we think were falling, were really rising”. Jeff is a true testimony of this proposition. All was shatters for him and no hope was found, he was able to see the light of the day and rose to stardom courtesy of the cooking skills obtained from prison. His company, The Henderson group continue to impact people through him. The fact that circumstances might have turned sour at some point in life that could be the defining moment that predicts a bright future. It is not always the case that when things turn out to be difficult that they will remain like that. The issue presented here through Jeff Henderson clearly demonstrates that all is not lost when there is a states of hopelessness. At that moment, there might be good things cooking. Therefore, as it happened to Jeff Henderson, it can happen to any other person. Success is preceded by failure. Through this saying we are able to learn that whenever hard times come up, good things are at the corner. Works Cited abc News. Excerpt: ‘Cooked’ by Chef Jeff Henderson. Web. 10 Mar 2014. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Recipes/story?id=2895622&page=1 The Henderson Group. Chef Jeff Live. 2013. Web. 10 Mar 2014. http://www.chefjefflive.com/ Read More