It’s that time of year to stock up for winter. Isn’t it? How many church dinners will you be attending? Many of them are all-you-can-eat dinners. Not only can you eat at church dinners, but many of the fall bazaars help feed our souls as well.
I hope you are hungry.
Also, prepare for the holiday parties and dinners. Our schedules will be full, and our stomachs will be full. Even though they’re a lot of work, all those dinners and social events are a good thing. They bring people together and create bonds. We sit next to people we don’t know, have a conversation, and feel good about it.
I have mentioned many times that food, even more than a good joke, is the equalizer when it comes to getting to know people. Eating together is probably the best way to break down barriers between people.
As Peace Corps volunteers, we ate an “asado” or barbecue with the opposing team after almost every basketball game in Uruguay. These were moments of cultural exchange. A little wine helped too.
After special events, celebrations are held on Indian reservations. Eating together is considered an important cultural activity.
At funerals, dinners are a lasting memory as stories are told and memories shared. They help make the group more social. What do you do at your class reunions? You eat together.
For most of their lives, my parents belonged to a group they called “The Pot Luck Bunch.” It consisted of about seven or eight couples who would get together spontaneously, bring whatever they had in the kitchen, and have a potluck. This happened at least twice a month. They talked about events in the small town, the kids played together, and of course, we all ate together. It was the best time for me and my brother. It was like having a whole group of surrogate parents.
Like many churches in days gone by, my church hosted a Ladies Aid dinner once a month for the congregation. This was a fundraising event, most of which, as I recall, went to the Sunday school. The dinner cost 20 cents and was also an all-you-can-eat event. The selection of casseroles, salads, cakes and pies was incredible. I didn’t know there were so many different kinds of Jell-O. At the end, everyone could honestly say, “A great time was had by all.”
My elementary school teachers usually attended these dinners, as most of them were single and not very well paid. A twenty cent meal was a bargain they couldn’t pass up. I found it kind of strange to see my teachers outside of the classroom. More than once I said to myself, “Wow, teachers eat too!”
Soon, men and women will be heading to their deer lodges to open the deer hunt. In addition to stories, food will be the topic of conversation. It would be fun to visit the various deer camps and see what they have on the menu. When we still hunted ducks and squirrels, deer camp was an excellent time to consume these delicacies.
There were heaping plates of leftover bones scattered around the forest for the animals to eat. After eating, we sat back, loosened our belts, and thought about how nice it would be in the morning when we could all sleep in. Then someone said, “Anyone fancy some strawberry shortcake?”
I have always maintained that when our politicians debate and negotiate, they should do so at a large oak table with seven or eight extension plates, where they can pass around two or three different casseroles, various Jell-O salads, and lots of cakes and pies. They may drink a couple of glasses of wine and negotiate their business. After dinner, they can eat a dish of mine, fresh from the oven, bread pudding with my secret ingredient. Without much imagination, more work would be done. At least they would talk to each other. “Pass me the green Jell-O salad, please.”
Our gardens are being harvested. Farmers are doing the same with their fields. We’re looking for church dinner ads. Deer hunters are starting to think about what they’re going to eat. We hope our politicians will band together and share a meal as they decide the fate of our world. Our lives revolve around food and, guess what, so does the world. Enjoy your meal and don’t forget to eat at a church dinner or two. I think I smell lutefisk.
Puzzle: What did the nut say when it sneezed? (Cashew) It may sound crazy to eat something while solving problems, but it works.
We have now surpassed 300 agencies supporting the 100% completion rate goal. Recent supporters include: Country Kitchen, Girl Scouts – Lakes and Pines, Paul Bunyan Shack, Big River Scoop, TM Autosports, Kip Reinarz – Firewood, Ironside Bobcat, Jim Finlayson, Carpentry, Asian Creations, Pinnacle Publishing. We can all help reach our 100% completion goal if we:
- Have a meal together as we try to solve problems with children and parents.
- Make sure our children get healthy food.
- Support our local food bank.
John R. Eggers of Bemidji is a former university professor and school principal. He is also an author and speaker.
John Eggers is a former college professor and principal living in the Bemidji, Minnesota area. He writes education columns for the Bemidji Pioneer newspaper.
