Sunday, November 7, 2010 Another Headbanging Hostess History Lesson

Around this time last year I quit my job at the local corporate pizza chain and dove head first into making cookies. Never before had I made cookies from scratch. But I didn't let a silly thing like that stop me. I searched for recipes, perfected them and by the end of December I was ready to start my own cookie business.

When the kitchen I was going to use fell through my energies refocused themselves on feeding my friends and the Thursday night dinners were born.

Saved my life.

I'm not kidding.

I, like millions of Americans, have struggled with depression my entire life. Add to that eight years of taking care of my Alzheimer's ridden mother, two years of asshole customers and a life-long struggle with an acting career and you can see how spending an entire day in bed would seem like a good thing to do.

After my mother died I was going through her things and found a card my brother had written to my dad. In that card, clear as day, was the truth. My father had suffered from depression, too. I could see it in the words he used and I could see it in my past.

Taking anti-depressants is certainly a way to keep depression out of my future - but it's not the only key. Having purpose. That is what's most important. And being The Headbanging Hostess gives me purpose.

Making dinner for my friends has given meaning to my life. Meeting new people has only added to the pleasure of it all. This is how I will use all my talents, all my gifts, to give something back to the world. I will make my mark with food, love and heavy metal.

Bang on, my peeps!

-HH