The French Meal
Within two or three weeks after my arrival in France in the late days of WWII, and while we were awaiting arrival of our combat equipment, I had the good fortune to be invited to partake of an extraordinary meal – French style, with a prosperous French farm family. The meal would have been impossible to enjoy and digest if it were served within the hour or so we normally allow for our evening meal. This meal took well over four hours. It was superb, and it covered the whole gamut of gastronomic understanding. As I remember there were twelve separate courses served. Each course had a compatible beverage. Each course quite small, but ever so unique and tasty. In addition, the whole meal was conducted under the most relaxing and cordial circumstances. No hurry, relaxed conversation, no radio, no television, an atmosphere of pure sharing and enjoyment. Everyone spoke and listened. We all had an opportunity to fully enjoy and digest each course. The ultimate result was complete satisfaction and appreciation.
The lesson was that when you have something as important as a feast, do it right! Do it in small, but unique and essential compliments to the whole experience. The stories listed in this section need to be digested separately, and over time to be appreciated. Each can be appreciated for its contribution and as a part of the whole experience.
The underlying meaning of The French Meal is twofold: It is in its own way a metaphor for life itself and a metaphor for understanding the purpose of the website – Relighting Us.
Metaphors make it easier to understandable stories about life, and the ones we share with each other become the backbone of our communication. Welcome to this metaphorical feast.
Bon Appetite!
More About Getting Started:
- You Are a Story
- Revisiting Memories – Conversations With Jean
- Keep It Simple
- Submit Your Story to Share