My mom and I go out to eat lunch once a week. We pick a restaurant and order something delicious to tuck into (if it’s the weekend, we’ll order drinks to start). We laugh and talk and order coffee at the end of the meal. We linger.
Now, I have a regular 8-5 type job. There’s an hour for lunch before it’s time to get back to it. You may be thinking that an hour isn’t enough time to really linger and enjoy a meal...but you’d be wrong.
Lingering is not necessarily about how much time you spend in a place. It’s about how much quality conversation you have, how much you enjoy the company you’re with. We tell stories about our weeks and catch up. We talk about the blog, and food, and new projects we’re excited about. We ask questions.
We often notice that in the 1 hour we’re spending at a table, a table next to us might see two groups come and go (sometimes more, depending on the place). We live fast-paced lives; I know people have places to go and things to get back to. But sometimes I wonder if we’re moving too fast and ignoring the art of lingering over conversations...of fully enjoying our hour off from the world.
Be kind to yourself- give yourself time to enjoy things. And be kind to your waiter- no one likes linger-ers who don’t tip! ;)
Absolutely love this post! I am all about lingering too. Nothing better than getting together with friends (that are like family) and/or family and not being on a time schedule. I had dinner the other night with a girlfriend and we sat at Hopkins for almost 2 and a half hours. So much fun!!! I normally don't like to meet anyone for lunch during the work week because I am limited on time and quite frankly I hate that. I am so glad to see that others enjoy lingering too.
I love this story - and not just because it involves me - because I love spending quality time with family and friends over a meal. To me, it is one of life's greatest luxuries and an opportunity to connect with another person in a real way! Go out, or have people over, either way there are opportunities to share with one another whether it is fancy or just a burger :-)