"Most of all, I like to make contact with people from all walks of life, whether at the supermarket, coffee shop, or fish and chips stand by the waterfront. I like to feel that I am a part of the greater human experience, to eat as other people do, so that I will be trusted, so that I can blend in, and survive, wherever I may be."
Hi Mara,
This is known as "breaking bread" with other people, the most outstanding example being Jesus in the Upper Room with the Twelve Disciples. Eating with others and sharing food is a form of deep connection, on a spiritual level, as well as other levels. Dating is a ritual that often includes intimate conversation, a romantic dinner, and whatever comes afterward. A family style dinner, is a time of day to not only eat food, enjoy it, and nourish the body, but connect with conversation and communality with other family members. This is the wonderful blessing of sharing food, it also connects us on a deep soul level.
I watched an episode of "Wife Swap" where a very rigid, dogmatic Vegan, given to preaching her lifestyle, went to live with a Cajun family on an alligator farm in the Louisiana swamps. While the Cajun mom was open to fixing and eating raw salads
ad infinitum for the California Vegan family,
and politely listening to the preaching -- the Vegan mom spent her time rudely criticizing and making disgusted faces at the house, the business, and the food of the Cajun family. She attempted to change the Cajun dad and son to Veganism by force. Lengthy footage of the Cajun dad comforting his son during an inconsolable crying jag was filmed. She made her new family absolutely miserable.
One scene involved the Cajun son and dad taking the Vegan mom to a superb local Cajun restaurant. The son ordered fried clams for himself (one of my favorites) and frogs legs for the new mom (they didn't yet know she was Vegan). She turned down the frogs legs in disgust.
To everyone, what would you have done in the same situation?
I would've had an absolutely wonderful time enjoying the best of Cajun food and culture.
Nancy