One thing unique to all restaurants is the number of people sitting at each table. Most times, it is greater than one.
If you stop and look, people are engaged in vibrant discussions. Telling stories, frustrations, laughing, questioning, learning, exploring different points of view, reliving memories……… Sharing a moment of their lives devoid of time.
While some fidget with their phones, they are not used to communicate nor are they used as timekeepers. They become photo albums to be seen. Bulletin boards of messages to be laughed at or questioned.
There is no better place to experience life than in conversation. So powerful, it erases time. So comforting, it chases away our loneliness. Especially when there are no judgments made.
Silence becomes one sided rather than wide spread. The most obvious clue that the other person is listening. A smile or a frown grab our attention and act like the wind hitting a sail, helping us change directions as needed for better understanding.
Connection is so powerful. Conversation is the best tool we can use.
Never run from it. Try not to hide when in it. Conversation is all around us. It helps us. Comforts us. Energizes us. (Although sometimes it frustrates us when we are too self-centered.)
Conversation will always be the best part of any meal. Either at home or at a restaurant. It’s just that at a restaurant, we see how common this is with all people.