Isn’t it sad to be unable eat or drink?
A moving essay from Chicago Sun Times film critic, Roger Ebert, who’s now unable to eat, drink, or speak
“What I miss is the society. Lunch and dinner are the two occasions when we most easily meet with friends and family. They’re the first way we experience places far from home. Where we sit to regard the passing parade. How we learn indirectly of other cultures. When we feel good together. Meals are when we get a lot of our talking done — probably most of our recreational talking. That’s what I miss. Because I can’t speak that’s another turn of the blade. I can sit at a table and vicariously enjoy the conversation, which is why I enjoy pals like my friend McHugh so much, because he rarely notices if anyone else isn’t speaking. But to attend a “business dinner” is a species of torture. I’m no good at business anyway, but at least if I’m being bad at it at Joe’s Stone Crab there are consolations.
When we drive around town I never look at a trendy new restaurant and wish I could eat there. I peer into little storefront places, diners, ethnic places, and then I feel envy. After a movie we’ll drive past a formica restaurant with only two tables occupied, and I’ll wish I could be at one of them, having ordered something familiar and and reading a book. I never felt alone in a situation like that. I was a soloist.”
Well worth your time, read it here.
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I think I might print out a copy of this and ram it down the throat of every Yelper I see.
I wonder how many people will read this, feel a moment’s pity for the man and then utterly forget it next time they dine out.
We’ve reached an unfortunate stage in our culture where there seems to be no awareness of how much we have. The bounty of restaurants here in Portland is astounding… the number of devoted professionals and families working insane hours and putting their homes and life savings at risk to do what they’re good at and/or makes them happy is pretty amazing too.
..and yet in 24 years as a cook I’ve never seen as much entitlement and snark as I see these days.
“they wouldn’t sub this for this”
“they wouldn’t customize a menu for my fake allergy”
“they charge extra for cheese”
“I had to wait 20 minutes for a table”
“they wouldn’t split our check ten ways”
“they only had 2 vegan-organic-macrobiotic-locavoreceliac friendly dishes on their (12 item) menu”
..and the list goes on.
It seems that in our society bitching about minutae has become a national passion.
I wonder if anyone will read this well written and sad essay and take a single moment’s pause before griping about some small detail of a dining experience that in a better world they would feel grateful to be having.
Just sayin’.
I think it’s called “the self-entitlement generation”
I remember loving an interview with a British food writer who when asked why European restaurant staff tend to hold Americans in such contempt answered that Americans tended to mistake being fussy and high maintenance for sophistication.
A very apt observation.
It is as though people think that endlessly criticizing things shows off their worldliness.
Sorry, I’ll get off my tangent..every once in a while I accidentally look at Yelp and develop a sudden aversion to the human race…
Well put, QV. Appreciate it.
Why repeat what you have already said perfectly. I couldn’t agree more.
i was able to feel pity even though i was eating food that did not come from one of pdx’s many restaurants.
Thank you for sharing this! I’ve loved Roger Ebert ever since he & Gene Siskel were still only local celebrities hosting a PBS show called “Sneak Previews”. I hope you don’t mind if I pass this along.
I put this on a card and posted it on my fridge for all to see during the holidays.
“Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.” Ecclesiastes 2:24
Yes, well, I love food, eating in restaurants and sharing food with friends a lot, but 13 years ago I became diabetic (type 1). I thought I’d never be able to enjoy food again and still maintain my health. But I found a way.
Wow, what a moving column for someone that loves to eat.
I’ve often thought that the worst think would be loose ones eyesight but but having to eat through a tube for the rest of ones life might just rank up there.