A recent Guardian UK article tackled the subject of communal dining in public restaurants and, as is the custom today, delivered it up as a controversy between Gen Z and Boomers.
I’m the “ then wife” and have to say that Jim does accurately describe (mostly)our dining experience at Patricia’s in Florence. It was a truly memorable evening. Sadly Patricia’s is long gone but the memories are forever.
The Mark Twain quote captures it perfectly. Theres something about sharing a meal that breaks down barriers faster than almost any other social interaction. Your point about Americans being island dwellers resonates, we've lost some of that European ease with communal experiances. The Evanston coincidence is wonderul proof that these chance encounters can lead to meaningfl connections.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment. You're a careful reader and that means a lot to me...
I’m the “ then wife” and have to say that Jim does accurately describe (mostly)our dining experience at Patricia’s in Florence. It was a truly memorable evening. Sadly Patricia’s is long gone but the memories are forever.
'Then' is mostly 'forever' and I'm glad the memory coincides. One-in-amillion, both then wife and memory. Hurrah...
The Mark Twain quote captures it perfectly. Theres something about sharing a meal that breaks down barriers faster than almost any other social interaction. Your point about Americans being island dwellers resonates, we've lost some of that European ease with communal experiances. The Evanston coincidence is wonderul proof that these chance encounters can lead to meaningfl connections.