DINING OUT

TLW

Yesterday TLW (The Little Woman) and I went out to dinner. We went to a little fish place we have been to before and liked. Being it was a Sunday afternoon we knew it would not be crowded and for the most part, it wasn’t. However, there was a large dinner party of about 12 to 16 people sitting together and of course, one individual had to make a lot of noise with a constant annoying laugh.

I often wonder why people need to do that? Are things that genuinely funny or are they trying to impress the other diners that THIS IS THE FUN TABLE! That everything being said is that funny to annoy people who are trying to have a nice dinner the most important thing you can do?

Food is important as a way to give substance to your body, to express peacefully the topics of the day and to relax. No one should have to be annoyed while they eat. I had a friend in high school forbidden to talk at the dinner table by his domineering father. This helped destroy his perspective of life and eventually after high school murdered his family and committed suicide. The dual tragedy of forcing one’s sick ideas on his children and then knowing his son would commit such heinous acts against his own family would make any parent pause on what to expect of a child, even one as old as 16.

I wanted to get up and go over to the table of boisterous people and ask to keep it down but thought who am I to say you can’t laugh or feel good? What problems were torturing this individual that she needed this relief?

To make me feel better, as I was leaving the restaurant a lady was waiting to be seated. I never met her before but stopped to inform her that there was only one party ahead of her, the Dozen Family, a party of twelve