You should've been at Japp's tonight

Something amazing happened tonight.

Japp's in OTR hosted Northside Distilling Co for their Craft Distiller's Night. Chris Courts, the head distiller, represented Northside, along with his partner Michael Marcagi and their trusty Whiskey Still used to make their product. As I am sure is often the case at Japp's, it was a crowded night.

People were packed in at the bar, tables, and standing in any open space. Yelling over the crowd and banging on a glass, Japp's owner, Molly, got everyone's attention to introduce Chris. With all eyes on him, he took the stage. Speaking loud enough to drown out the ambient bar noise, he said, "Thanks for being here. I am going to talk to you about Northside Distilling Co and our product, but before I do, I would like to introduce myself and tell you why I do what I do. Is that ok?" Immediately, half the bar got up and walked out.

I was shocked, embarrassed, and humiliated, and I wasn't the one on stage. I can't imagine how Chris felt. Being vulnerable, standing out, or putting yourself out there only to be flat out rejected is literally some people's worst nightmare. I am sure there is a phobia named for this. Everyone has that school-aged kid living inside of us who is afraid of being laughed at. It seemed like the night was over, but then that amazing thing happened that I was talking about earlier.

Chris shared anyway! He didn't pack up and go home, he didn't cut down his talk, and he didn't even speed it up to get off stage faster. He took a breath, shook it off, and moved forward. Chris taught us an important lesson: If you try to please everyone, you will please no one. Instead, do what you think is important, and you will please a few, and they are the ones who matter.

This was the best thing that happened in OTR tonight. For the people who decided to stay, we received a gift. We learned the core values that have shaped Chris and the distillery he works for. We heard how his grandfather's wisdom guided him during a time of confusion. We got to taste the whiskey that he passionately made with his own hands, and we heard how Chris is changing the city one bottle at a time.

I think we need more people doing what Chris did tonight. People who are less concerned with "conforming" to the crowd and more concerned with doing something important and sharing it with the world.