Quick! Find a New Diner!
December 14, 2009
Whenever my family goes to the cemetery, we have lunch afterwards at the diner. It’s so convenient: right at the entrance to the highway. And, of course, it’s Tradition. I am now one of the few who remember the pre-diner years, when there was nothing but farmland.
Recently, my elderly aunt died in her sleep. We were sad, in shock; and, after the burial, several of us would be heading off in different directions. But my uncle looked around and said, “Let’s stop at the diner; the kids have to eat.” Great plan!
”The only problem was that the wonderful diner had closed, and the replacement we found was inconvenient, grimy, and served food that was – let’s just say disappointing.
No matter. After the grief, it was a relief to sit around a long table and eat omelettes and grilled cheese sandwiches. We could relax, catch up, trade stories and memories. It had been ages since I’d seen my adorable young cousins from California. Together, we could begin to move toward normal life.
Now, if only someone would re-open that great old diner…
Mealtimes Matter Video
from Miriam Weinstein
About Miriam
Miriam Weinstein is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. As a journalist, she has won several awards from the New England Press Association. Her work has appeared in Boston Magazine, the Boston Globe magazine, Hope, and ParentSource. A former staff member for North Shore Weeklies and freelancer for Essex County Newspapers, she writes restaurant reviews and food columns as well as features on a wide variety of subjects. She lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with her husband and has two grown children.
The Surprising Power of Family Meals
In her book, The Surprising Power of Family Meals, Miriam Weinstein shows how this basic human institution helps nourish and strengthen our families today.