Rhapsodic Blues

Dinner's on the stove. I am waiting for the marinate to cool so I can pour it over the salmon filets. There are nine of us for dinner tonight. I've invited my neighbours to the right and to the left over. They are bringing dessert. The Boy has helped clean up and is now doing his homework as we wait for our guests to arrive. He's asked me to show him how to do some special effects in PowerPoint for his English presentation. When did he learn to use PowerPoint?

Despite my being the sole chef right now, I don't feel alone. I'm often surprised how social a creature I am despite my quiet nature.

I was telling Bro today that while meditation is a solitary activity, I am hooking up with a friend to do it together. In fact, we are joining a meditation clinic to meditate with a group. He said, Masturbation used to be a solitary activity too, but now there are jerk circles.

I don't think you can compare mediation to masturbation. Or can you? Both are personal experiences, supposedly requiring some degree of privacy. While meditation does not exactly require social engagement, there have always been temples where monks gather as a group to meditate. Can the same be said for masturbation? Or is that called an orgy?

But the point is that we are social beings. Even Bro, who claims to hate people and thinks everyone is an asshole, admits that. Though he prefers his social circle small. Me, I generally like having lots of people around me whether I am engaged in their activities or not.

We had a great dinner tonight. My neighbours and their kids are gracious guests. I like that we all sit at the table, adults, teen and kids under 12. The kids are well-behaved. They are now playing Scategories, at The Boy's instigation. Noisy and argumentative. I like the sound of lively enjoyment in our house.

I have not joined their game. I tell them it's because I am bad at it and I am a sore loser. But it's really because I want to give my spot to the 9-year-old, who's trying to follow the game with her own set of cards. And I want to sit back and take in this moment of merriment gathered at my dinning room table, a canvas in the warm glow of our pod lights.

Some of them have now teamed up. The two adults and The Boy are each on their own. The 11-year-old and and 10-year-old have joined forces. The 9-year-old is helping her mother. The 6-year-old is playing with toy soldiers on the floor and he's giving me a play-by-play of his battle.

In my mind, the background music to this scene is Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.