What's for dinner?
How many times have you said that? How many times has your parent, friend, spouse or roommate said that to you? It's become such a commonplace phrase that commercials and advertising campaigns use even after it had already been absorbed in our cultural lexicon for many many years.
Last night I dreamed I had found a vacant ballroom and realized that what I really missed in my life was tap dancing. So I pulled out my tap shoes and put them on, mentally going over steps I could still remember as I tied my laces…all the while thinking how lucky I was to be able to dance again, that my shoes still fit, that I had found a space to dance in…and I noticed I was wearing black and white stripe leg warmers which made my smile broader.
Then suddenly, a group of women entered, all with tap shoes on. To my surprise there was a class about to start and I asked if I could join. The instructor obliged me, but then began a sort of rant about her dislike of our society and continued on and on about everything that was wrong with us culturally and politically, and as she continued her words became uglier and uglier. I found that my joyous mood was promptly overrun by the instructor's personal rants and issues that had nothing to do with our class, and I noticed how not only it disrupted my mood but the mood of the other women present. That was when I spoke up and countered her rant.
"What's for dinner? How often have we said that on our lives? Do we even know or acknowledge how blessed and fortunate we are to even ask this question when millions of people in the world have only one question to ask, 'will I eat today?'
" If you are blessed enough to be able to ask 'what's for dinner?' that means you are fortunate enough to be able to have the options of what you wish to consume this evening. Whether it's steak or pasta or a simple salad with the dressing on the side…these are beautiful gifts each of it's own. When was the last time you took a moment to realize how many millions of people wish and wish they could have this simple choice? The simple choices to us in our world.
" I implore you the next time you find yourself angry at the world, or having a bad day, or arguing with your best friend over politics, that you take a step back and ask yourself 'what's for dinner?' This simple phrase has also become an acknowledgement of the blessings you have in your life every day."
And there was my rant. I awoke soon after this dream and lay awake for another three hours thinking about it.
On my way to work today, I saw an old homeless man drinking beer. He was there yesterday, and had appeared again this morning. Again I thought to myself, "what's for dinner?". For even though I struggle to pay my bills every month, I still have this beautiful luxury. I know where I will sleep tonight and I can ponder over what I would like to eat today…
