"Wine Tasting"

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about dining…

You know??...That ancient tradition of actually sitting down to a meal at a table somewhere (perhaps even in my own home—well, apartment!) and enjoying the sensation of actually tasting my food and drink?  What a novel concept THAT has become!

Many years ago, when I lived up north, I used to pride myself on the lunch-five-minutes I would grab every day at three in the afternoon.  How ridiculous.  I roll my eyes now just thinking about it.  Anyway, thinking back to the scattered and almost vacant way I used to live, does remind me, though, of a great scene from Milk Money, a movie I watched a number of years ago.  Maybe you saw it, too.  In the early part of the movie, the dad (played by Ed Harris) and his son race to see who can finish his TV dinner the quickest. During "the race," you get the sense that this competition has been going on for some time.  We’re told that mom passed away many years prior, and we gather that father and son see no reason why they should waste such precious time cooking or savoring a meal together.  It is a very funny and sad scene at the same time.  In the race, so much is missed.

When you look back on your life, what memories do you cherish most?  So many things come to my mind that I’m not sure I’d know where to start if someone were to ask me the same question.  But...since I’m the one doing the asking, I’ll go ahead and be the guinea pig in my own experiment and answer my question as honestly as I can.  When I reach back into the recesses of my deepest, most pleasurable experiences, I would have to say that my greatest memories are wrapped up in a small number of—perhaps no more than a dozen—specific (and, in a couple of instances, exceedingly crazy!) experiences with a few of the people that I have really loved in my life.  My experiences with them are some of my greatest treasures, and I wouldn't trade those memories for anything.

To experience someone—to really experience that person, I must be able to see, hear, and touch her (or him).  To see her, I must S L O O O O O O W down and open my eyes to all that she wants to show me (not just what I want to see).  I must open my ears, too, to hear the unique voice of this precious person who is longing to be heard.  AND...to really touch her, I must be there—in body, mind, and spirit—with all faculties working together synergistically.  It is only then that I will be able to SEE her as she is and, perhaps, touch her in a way she’s never been touched before.  I want to be quite honest with you…I think—no, I KNOW—that seeing someone properly—and I mean really "getting it" about another person—is, perhaps, one of the greatest gifts that I can give to another.  Life can be very lonely.  Being understood and embraced by another can be an incredibly soothing balm, wouldn't you agree?  The memories created by such experiences, even those that may last for only a few seconds, can last a lifetime.  Life presents all of us with many opportunities to see, hear, and touch someone in our lives.  It is sad that, for most of us, our lives are seemingly run-a-muck with missed opportunities.

How much have you missed in your life? How much have you been missed? I urge you to slow your pace a bit. Carve out some time and space to enjoy the playful presence of a few people you love; sip, don’t gulp, their soul’s wine, and I guarantee you that you—and they—will never be the same.