Gee: Lessons from MLK, and why a good meal is bigger than politics

Over the last few nights, I have been on the road a lot. I was in Mount Vernon one night, and in Centralia the next.

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While driving, I’ve been listening to a lot of Dr. Martin Luther King’s speeches. I’ve listened before, but not like this. Have you ever listened to something before, and when you listened again it hit you totally different? It’s like that.

While hanging out in these towns, I had a great time, with great people. While in line to get food at both events, something stood out to me: All of us enjoyed the food (although I enjoy all food). In Mount Vernon, they had this fish that was amazing. Down in Centralia, they had this place called Marv’s BBQ, and it was fire (that’s good).

There’s a sense of common ground when folks sit down together to enjoy a meal. When it comes to food, there’s really no judgment, other than if the food is “good” or “bad.”

It doesn’t matter what it looks like. If it’s “good,” then let’s enjoy it. If it’s “bad,” then we won’t don’t want it. How do we know if it’s good? Can we look at the food and know if it’s good? No, you have to taste it first.

You still with me?

While listening to the speeches and preachings of Dr. King, I realize some of the main reasons he was assassinated.

More and more, he was getting folks together, and they were sitting down to talk. While talking, they were starting to realize that maybe they were wrong.

Maybe they were judging the food before they tasted it.

The longer King Jr. was alive, the more he was bringing people together. For some reason, that’s when fear came in. I guess we couldn’t have people knowing, so they had to continue to drive a narrative in order to keep things separate.

Now, we have social media to help even more with the divide. We now look and judge people even though we’ve never met them (I’m guilty of this too, by the way).

I’m sure that over the last two days, I’ve sat down with some that have different political views than me. However, it didn’t matter,  because I wasn’t thinking about that. All I was thinking about was the good conversation, good people, and the good food.

Sit down, and have a meal with someone outside of your bubble. It’s the best!

P.S. Dear Marv’s BBQ: That garlic bread is the best I’ve ever tasted.

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