There comes a time for the club, the office staff, or the band to celebrate with a dinner gathering at a special restaurant. Someone gets delegated to choose the venue, the menu, the date and the time.
These days, here’s what happens. The coordinator presents a list of popular restaurants to choose from. The responses include, “Parking anywhere near there is too limited and expensive!” “Too far away! We should patronize a local one.” “They’re closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.” “It’s so noisy there!” “My uncle said that the line-ups are terrible!” “That place doesn’t take American Express.” “Very little on tap, and their wine selection is limited.” “They sometimes allow service dogs and that bothers my allergies.”
Then, there’s the challenge of satisfying dietary preferences, medical restrictions and environmental criteria of everyone. When the gang is queried, the following is a sampling of their anxious concerns. “I’m gluten intolerant.” “Can’t take anything that’s too spicy!” “The veggies will have to be organic and the chicken free range.” “We should be supporting locals, folks within a hundred kilometers.” “I only do Kosher.” “Halal is a must for me.” “I’m boycotting anything from Israel, South Africa, China… no stuff that’s come across the border.”
The clock and calendar have to be consulted. “That’s when I take the dogs for a walk.” “About then I’ll be needing to go for a haircut.” “The wife might be going to get her pedicure that d
ay.” “Fridays are meatless days in my book!” “I don’t do any driving after dark.” “What if the weather’s bad that day?” “Ever since I was on the farm, dinner was always sharp at noon. Not going to change now!”
Keeping all their passionately expressed needs and preferences in mind, the organizer comes up with something that can work for everyone. “It’s going to be potluck. You can eat anything you want, anywhere you choose, whenever you choose. Do a pot luck for yourself!”
