We have Indian, Taiwanese, Cambodian, Spaniard, Greek, American components on the average day.
Of those, we have a swath of Democratic, Republican, Green party representation.
We have my Mormon voice, along with other Christians, Jews, Buddhist, Hindu, Yogi, and your average agnostic Scientist/Skeptic.
We have childless adults nearing retirement, childless young professionals, folks with young children, folks with adult children, married and unmarried.
One of the reasons I like the lunch discussions is because we come to achieve Flow rather easily. The conversation generally starts with someone telling a personal experience from the last couple of days or bringing up a news item, then it goes from there. After a few minutes, the topics have meandered such that we pause and say, "How did we get here?" Then we retrace the conversation, which evolved from nuanced opinions and asides to its present state. I took notes on Friday, just to see how it went. Here's a haphazard excerpt of part of it:
- One of the blokes was feeling inclined to try to live off the land as the frontiersmen did. Then he could get the best of the modern world and the "good old days."
- Unfortunately, in the "good old days" men often died prematurely from farm accidents.
- Now you can get insurance to cover disability and long-term rehabilitation.
- End-of-life care tends to extend peoples' life much longer than in the days of yore.
- Coronor certifies death, do they have to be trained to declare, "Yep, that person is dead."
- Morticians probably have much fewer surprises these days.
- Apparently, a military morgue occasionally gets a surprise when someone comes back from having shallow signs of life.
- Some premature deaths are preventable, see also: Mammograms
- Being 100% sure about something is very costly
- They don't have a track record for 100% justice at Guantanamo... cheaper form of justice,
- Death penalty costs alot of money to carry through also, due to false convictions
- Easier to push through in Texas?
- "Occupy" folks are having a hard time getting traction for something definitive.
- Their largely on private property (?)
- ------Guy comes in to get a muffin from the muffin club box: new topic---
- He's an IPhone user, with the 3GS
- Merits of 3GS versus the 4G phone
- Capabilities with Apps, Skype
- Waiting for the truly 4G data connection
- Bandwidth is a premium for increased data consumption
- Different carriers, old/new customers data rates
- Text messaging is a racket for the carriers, since they cost virtually nothing to the provider
- Phone plan contracts are out to gouge and pull in revenue wherever people will pay
- Just like the airlines, they'll charge a fee for you to move across the aisle if they could...
The truth is, I guess you had to be there. I left out alot of details. But really, living as a frontiersman and Guantanamo and airline fees all in the same conversation? Fascinating! And if not fascinating, then maybe Thursday or Wednesday or Tuesday you would have considered intriguing. I wonder if the ladies on The View really care about what they talk about, since they pick a topic and stick with it before they meander. Do they get a chance to prep to talk to their topics? I would bet so.
Sometimes I also pause and look at my life and think, "How did I get here from there?" It really is a composition of lots of contributors, from teachers to scout leaders to church friends and examples, to roommates and fun dates. Mission experiences and life experiences and books and scriptures and blogs. Conversations and moments of meditation. Combine them all together over time and they have shaped what I think and feel about things, and contribute significantly to what I have done with my life.
This is Thanksgiving week. Pause a minute to think of those people, events, and blessings that have helped you get from there to here. Make a note of some of these defining moments or people, and express your gratitude!
loved this!
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