Do you want to see how a tandoor works?
I was sitting in an Indian restaurant in Fargo ND with my best friend. As we placed the order for our food, the server informed us that they had just completed repairs to their tandoor and so the naan may be slightly delayed.
My friend’s eyes widened as he asked “You have a tandoor? May I see it?” This clearly caught the server off guard. I guess that isn’t a common request. He said he would have to check with the owner and get back to us. A tandoor is a large urn-shaped oven. It’s typically made of clay and is common in Indian cuisine.
“Why do you want to see a tandoor?” I asked my friend, somewhat annoyed that we were now touring the restaurant instead of relaxing and eating there. “I’ve never seen a tandoor, have you? This is our opportunity to learn how a tandoor works.”
I had very little interest in learning how a tandoor works, unless it would somehow expedite my order of garlic and ginger naan. The owner eventually agreed to show my friend the tandoor, he learned all about tandoors that day. I did not.
A few weeks later we were at the lake together when we met a gentleman who owned an Indian restaurant which as you probably guessed, had a tandoor.
Our new acquaintance was complaining to my friend that his tandoor wasn’t working properly. My friend immediately launched into his ideas as to what the possible root cause of the problem with the tandoor could be.
Completely clueless to the conversation unfolding before me, I asked my friend “How do you know so much about tandoors?”
He just smiled at me and said “Remember the Indian restaurant in Fargo…?”
At the time I had the opportunity I didn’t see the value in learning about tandoors. As it turns out perhaps I should have because I’ve not had an offer to see how a tandoor works since.
That lesson has stuck with me. Each day we’re presented with opportunities to learn and explore. Those opportunities may or may not represent our immediate interests. Those opportunities do represent our ability to build knowledge. Knowledge is perhaps one of the few things in life that once you have it, no one can take it away from you.
