cafeterias

Why is it that older people like cafeterias? Last night MKH and I spent the evening with an older couple that we know from our faith community. When we were discussing where to eat our evening meal the older gentleman suggested a local cafeteria.

I never think of going to a cafeteria. Cafeterias have never been an option for me except when I am in the company of an older person and they suggest it.

Some observations about cafeterias:
1. They do a good job with meat.

2. They do a good job with fried things.

3. They do a lousy job with gravy. "Practice saying, "Hold the gravy" on your way to the cafeteria. The servers are quick to the punch so you might want to say it as soon as you walk in the door. Keep saying, "Hold the gravy." "Hold the sauce, too."

4. The serving spoons are enormous. This means...
The portions are enormous. In one fell swoop there are more green beans on my plate than I usually eat in a week.

5. The servers slapping food on your plate move quickly. Before you have a chance to say, "Hold the gravy" you have an olympic size swimming pool of gravy on your plate.

6. Cafeterias are not the healthiest places to eat, with all the gravy, sauce, buttered beans, breading, fried things, desserts, etc. However, you should take encouragement from the fact that you are eating there with an older person, so the food must not be too unhealthy or they wouldn't be sitting across from you.

7. The company is great. That's the best part of eating at a cafeteria. You have the opportunity to participate in a conversation with a person who has a wealth of life experience. Here is a person with real wisdom, and a connection with history. This person has been there, done it, and lived to tell about it.

8. Cafeterias don't have televisions to distract, or fancy wall decor, the focus is on the people. I have always found the service to be great, in fact the servers pretty much dote on you.

9. And finally, at cafeterias, unlike school cafeterias I ate in while growing up, you don't have to scrape your uneaten food (and all that gravy) off your plate into the trash.