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Let’s grab a bite together

Humans have always bonded over food.
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I saw a TV commercial last week which was thought-provoking because it depicted a topic I had been giving some thought to. Presidents Choice had launched an Eat Together campaign last year with an equally notable commercial (search Eat together on YouTube) but this years advertisement showed a young lady from birth to adulthood in all the various stages of life; always in a setting where she is eating together with either family, friends or colleagues. It ends with her eating at her desk at work, by herself, like others around her.

I guess it stands out for me because at the Community Complex unless someone is manning the front counter or lifeguarding; most of us have always eaten together. Apparently, this is a bit of an anomaly as many similar places have distinctions; office staff, maintenance staff, union, non-union, different shifts – stuff like that but at least for meal breaks here, the majority seem to land in the one spot. The reason I had been giving thought to this subject was that someone outside the Complex had mused an idea as to whether this was a good or not-so-good practice.

I know it may not work for everyone; there may be cliques or space issues or some have gotten used to just working through lunch at their desks and blowing crumbs out of keyboards once a week. Personally, I opt for plan B where we share our coworkers’ trials and tribulations in their lives; births, deaths and everything in between. These are the people we spend all day with – we celebrate successes together and lament disappointments. We try and solve the world’s problems together and we laugh – boy, do we laugh. We sometimes tease (but learn) about the various diets we see and it’s not uncommon to have someone jump up and demonstrate some distinction of an exercise technique on the floor to another. I have learned more about health, nutrition and well-being at the lunch table than anywhere else I have travelled.

And the food! It can be a virtual United Nations of variation as this is not (usually) a baloney on white bread crowd. We see a myriad of homemade casseroles or soups or pastas with fabrications showcasing everything from gluten or dairy free right through to elk or deer mélanges; most creations hosting local ingredients, stimulating either taste buds, jealousy or conversation. We know who likes and dislikes sardines, bananas or microwaved cheese and we respect that sometimes it’s just a baloney and white bread day.

Many of us look forward to these brief gatherings as a small respite from fast-paced, often intense work schedules. Humans have always bonded over food; this primal function serving as a kind of social glue, so as we just get busier while time progresses, taking that half hour to step away from tasks and electronics (other than googling who that dude was in that TV show) often serves as both a restorative and cohesive function.

These days, much like all the days before us, we face issues like world peace or gun control or treating each other with respect; perhaps a starting place is something as simple as sitting down together and sharing a meal and conversation together.