There are many things lost to antiquity that were traditions of coming together; adding another table sleeve should not be one of them.
There is that unceremonious time when families are gathered for a holiday when the important cook or another central family figure asks for the unbenighted insertion of "leaves" by volunteers to extend the main dining table. No expertise or great strength is needed; just to walk away from the conversation, drink, game, or TV show one had been previously occupied with is sacrifice enough. No applause. This act sometimes has amusing results, having two slightly (or more so) inebriated guests making it a project or side show. Mostly, it goes unnoticed. Yet what does it say to add a sleeve?
There is a quiet call to be more inclusive, to grow bigger in what and who we accept, to be more welcoming. It calls us to come together as one, to share in the poorness and richness of being a family. That sleeve joins us to, extends, us to all of our family and the table of all mankind.
There is this Buddhist story about hell. A student of the Rinpoche was granted a brief tour of the afterlife. In the first room he visited, all those there had sufficient implements to gather food from the table but they were so long no one could not bring the food to their mouths: that was hell. The second room was essentially the same scene: implements to reach the food but too long to feed themselves. The difference between heaven and hell? Those in the second room chose to feed another, and was also fed.
Brilliant metaphor. If we only have one more chance to change and take the high road to better the world by helping one another.
We have today! A good New Years resolution for me is to always try and take the high road, especially with our POTUS, gonna be a tough year!
Well now, we all need to sit at the table and feed each other or POTUS will feed us to the birds. If we can manage to strangle this AFMC monster, we might have a chance to feed ourselves. How in the heck did we ever put ourselves into this position that we have so little control over our government that they would even think to box everyone in like this. WE DO NOT NEED A SOCIALIST MONSTROSITY telling us How to live, and when to die. Our freedom is being eaten away and our own cloak is sleeveless. We will only have bare arms before long, and will not be able to protect ourselves without bearing arms. Heaven forbid.
larry wrote:
Well now, we all need to sit at the table and feed each other or POTUS will feed us to the birds. If we can manage to strangle this AFMC monster, we might have a chance to feed ourselves. How in the heck did we ever put ourselves into this position that we have so little control over our government that they would even think to box everyone in like this. WE DO NOT NEED A SOCIALIST MONSTROSITY telling us How to live, and when to die. Our freedom is being eaten away and our own cloak is sleeveless. We will only have bare arms before long, and will not be able to protect ourselves without bearing arms. Heaven forbid.
Well now, we all need to sit at the table and feed... (
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Wow. You get all that out of a family gathering for the holidays? Brilliant!
Table Leaves,,, though,,,,
A Dangerous time,,, when your drunk uncle shove his side too soon and catches your hand in the table!!
OOOWWWWIIIIIIIEEE!!
But the time with family is a well taken point. I had a chance to spend Christmas with old friends..
It is my fear that this world we inhabit will explode into warfare, and that gathering will vanish.
Does my heart good though to have new friends like you of highly divergent thought process and principles,,,
That is why the kitchen table is the most important spot in the house.
rumitoid wrote:
There are many things lost to antiquity that were traditions of coming together; adding another table sleeve should not be one of them.
There is that unceremonious time when families are gathered for a holiday when the important cook or another central family figure asks for the unbenighted insertion of "leaves" by volunteers to extend the main dining table. No expertise or great strength is needed; just to walk away from the conversation, drink, game, or TV show one had been previously occupied with is sacrifice enough. No applause. This act sometimes has amusing results, having two slightly (or more so) inebriated guests making it a project or side show. Mostly, it goes unnoticed. Yet what does it say to add a sleeve?
There is a quiet call to be more inclusive, to grow bigger in what and who we accept, to be more welcoming. It calls us to come together as one, to share in the poorness and richness of being a family. That sleeve joins us to, extends, us to all of our family and the table of all mankind.
There is this Buddhist story about hell. A student of the Rinpoche was granted a brief tour of the afterlife. In the first room he visited, all those there had sufficient implements to gather food from the table but they were so long no one could not bring the food to their mouths: that was hell. The second room was essentially the same scene: implements to reach the food but too long to feed themselves. The difference between heaven and hell? Those in the second room chose to feed another, and was also fed.
There are many things lost to antiquity that were ... (
show quote)
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