A little perspective

Last night we were in Amelia Island, just across the border into Florida. Those of you that use Facebook saw the very nice beers we tried there. While we were sitting there, a man came in and asked if any local beer was brewed in town. It turned out that yes, there was a restaurant around the corner that brewed a bit of beer that could be consumed in the restaurant. All three of us scurried over there to see what it was all about. Unfortunately the beer was nothing to write home about, or keep a log about. But we had an interesting conversation with the man who asked. It turns out that he is some kind of beer geek. There is nothing weird about that in the world I live in, but here is what was weird: he had index cards in his pocket that were several inches thick. He has been writing down every beer he has tried, for more than ten years. When he hears about a beer from someone, he looks it up to find out if he has tried it, and what he thought when he tasted it.  Of course each of us who likes beer likes something quite specific. Bob likes a hoppier beer than I do; I like a maltier beer than Bob does. Bob's best beer is an IPA. My best beer is a Belgian white. I told this man that my favorite beer was Allagash White, which is brewed in Maine.  He took out his stack of cards and looked it up. He said yes, he had tried it several years ago. He had written down: good for "its type."  That was it for that conversation. I guess it's all a matter of perspective. We like what we like. But the idea that because I tried something ten years ago, or thought about it ten years ago, I'm all set? Doesn't seem like the right way to live. I like beer, and I think what I think. But I hope I don't go through life thinking that I've thought it all down, written it all out, and don't ever have to think about anything again.  Beer or otherwise.