Every Friday evening my wife and I attend an event called a “Pour” as in “Who is Pouring this week?” It began when two Octogenarian couples invited another couple in their 70s to get together weekly for snacks and drinks. For some unknown reason we were soon invited to attend in spite of our youth.
They are a marvelous group. Words cannot describe the amount of wit and wisdom that can be shared in a few hours. The Pour has become our local family and a cherished time to spend with close friends. We would not think of missing it.
Last night the son of one of the original couples, both 89, attended. He was here because mom is having some serious health issues. He lives out of town but had attended one about a year ago so we were acquainted.
I asked him, “Mark, what’s new in your life?” His reply floored me. “I am getting rid of all the stuff in my life.” “Tell me more,” I prompted. “I have accumulated a huge amount of material stuff in my life and I realized it has no value. It’s worthless.” By now, the student part of my brain was on fire. “With what will you fill the hole in your life when your stuff is gone,” I asked.
He looked at me and said, “People! I have realized that people and relationships are all that matters. Nothing is more important.”
“And how do you intend to do that?”
The host offered, “He’s a cook now.”
Mark said, “I’m not sure about that but I can feed a lot of folks. One day each week I feed between thirty and fifty friends in my home. I invite my friends and ask them to bring some of their friends. That way we are always meeting new friends. We eat and we talk.”
“Wow,” was about all the response I could make.
“I used to have a lot of stuff and not very many friends,” Mark said, “Now I have less stuff and lots of friends. My life is so much better.”
Wow is still about the only response I have. Mark is fifty-five. Maybe there is some hope for our generation. Maybe we all should start having dinner with a bunch of our friends. We plan to start next week. First thing is to get some bigger recipes.
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