I’m busy with a freelance drawing project, and work on it has cut into my time to blog. Nonetheless, I continue to think about the Progressive Dinner I went to on Saturday, and as I wait for recipes for the sangria, gruyere fondue, and Thai chicken soup that I so enjoyed, I want to share another aspect of the meal that I found appealing.
The night gave me a chance to meet many interesting people. There was a couple, who when they were in their twenties, left NYC to open a Thai restaurant in a nightclub in Mexico City; a guy who made his own wine and built the very house he was hosting in; a handyman who worked from home; a teacher of special needs children; and many others.
I liked spending time with folks who I might not have ordinarily had dinner with. We are at a very challenging time in our country right now, and a recent Niall Ferguson article in Newsweek, "America's 'Oh Sh*t!' Moment," points to one of the causes—people on the right don’t talk to people on the left. In order to fix things in our country, though, both sides will have to start listening to each other.
Do you think a progressive dinner pulling together people from across the political spectrum would be of any benefit? I tend to think it might—we all have to eat, after all.
And don't forget about the "Man with a Pan" giveaway. Write me with your Progressive Dinner stories, and if you haven't yet eaten at a Progressive Dinner, write me with a story about talking to someone with a different point of view over dinner. If I hear a good one, I'll throw that into the running for the giveaway at the end of the week.
Just a note – it’s Niall. (My son has the same name and it’s a hard one for folks sometimes. 🙂 )
Thanks. Made the correction.
I love progressive dinners. Our most recent was a run through a number of different restaurants over in Seattle. These are always a great idea, and a mixing of the political spectrum would be a good idea in my opinion; maybe allow the setting to bounce from left to right for some balance.