The thought of blogging pops into my mind at the most inopportune times... like when I'm in the shower in the morning, or when I'm visiting with a client at work, or when I'm laying in bed half asleep. I think about it constantly yet constantly wonder what there is to blog about as I am not cooking for the Lake House any longer. I did recently cook at my house and bring it over to the abandoned house that most of the guys have commandeered for the time being, but it wasn't really newsworthy and I find myself disenchanted with the idea of blogging about cooking for the time being.
My food consumption has been relegated to fast food, or eating food fast, with little to no regard for the community aspect food elicits. I do, however, make a point of eating with people and still spending time with the guys in an effort to maintain the community I've formed with them.
The other night I was thinking about my family dinners growing up. My brother and I were always expected to be home for dinner every night regardless of what after school activities we were involved in, the only exception being if we were working. My mom would cook dinner when she got home from work and would time the completion of dinner preparation perfectly for when my dad got home from work. We would have a different meal every night and it would always be mostly from scratch. I am still envious of my mom's creativity and dedication to our family dinners.
We would sit down, as a family, say grace, then eat dinner. My brother and I were expected to use manners, we would talk about our days and anything else that popped into our minds, and we would wait until everyone was done eating before getting up from the table to do the dishes.
It's not that I didn't enjoy family dinners, but I never realized how much I appreciated sitting down and eating with people I love. To commune over food fosters relationship and creates a forum for conversation that is unmatched to any other activity. People need to eat. People need each other. So why not eat together?
I am fortunate to have people in my life that either value community or food (or both) and will therefore sit down to a meal with me. I am grateful for these people for helping me preserve my family's tradition of the family supper and for providing me with the opportunity to commune and build relationships with them.
