My dear husband and I have always been notoriously slow eaters. When the kids were young, meal time was an opportunity to catch up on things, take stock of needs for the remainder of the day, and enjoy a quiet respite from the day.
The kids are now grown and gone most with families and starting traditions of their own. Even now that it just two instead of five, meal time remains a time for us to talk over the comings and goings of the day, the latest political disaster or the news of the family.
No doubt, when we were younger we were in a hurry to run somewhere and do something. There is much to be done with young families. I am finding that, as time goes on, mealtime has increased in importance as well as duration...even when it is just the two of us. Older folks, I believe, grow up and find value in things that lacked importance when they were younger. Things like visiting on the porch of a neighbor over a cup of iced tea, watching babies, satisfaction in a dish drainer of hand-washed dishes, enjoying the learning of a new skill or lost art.
Does a more rural life style help to promote a more relaxed frame of mind and lifestyle? There are times that life in the country or down on the farm is anything but relaxing. I do believe that most rural folks have a good handle on what is important to them in their life and what is the fluff that may be fun to look at, but at the end of the day, is just that...fluff. (Not saying that you have to live in the woods to grasp the concept, however.) Is it just plain better for us to let go of the stuff of the day over a well made meal and a good cup of tea (okay, or coffee and let's add some Mozart)?
The older generation from every age have probably always wanted the younger folks to slow down and relax, desiring the next generation to find what they had found sooner than they had come to realize--the joys of a relaxed life.
I am sure that my Grandmother told me more than once, "Sit down and visit with us and enjoy your supper!"
