My Apologies

When Husband and I were newly wed his parents traveled extensively. This was before the dawn of the internet so we didn't read their blogs or schedule a Skype visit to find out how they were doing. Instead, every few days we'd find a letter in the mailbox.

Oh, how we chuckled over these letters.

"Prince Edward Island was interesting," his mother might write. "We ate at Wendy's--shared a hamburger and a Frosty." Or "We've really enjoyed Nova Scotia. Went to Cracker Barrel and shared an order of meatloaf. They used quite a lot of onions, and a little green pepper, which was nice."

We might not have heard much about the sights and sounds of the places my in-laws were visiting, but we knew exactly what they were eating one order, shared, at a time. At the time we assumed their single-serving custom came about because they were on a fixed income and my mother-in-law had perfected the art of squeezing a nickel until the buffalo turned blue.

How delightfully, quaintly cheap they are! we chortled. Sharing meals!

Last night Husband and I had to visit Big City (not enough deck sealant in Small Town) and stopped by Olive Garden for supper on the way home. We had one order of Capellini Pomodoro with an extra salad, and two waters. It was delicious and, to our amazement, sufficient.

It turns out that the shared dinners Husband's parents enjoyed didn't just help their travel budget; they also helped them leave restaurants without the overstuffed waddle that usually accompanies unlimited breadsticks. Who knew?

Senior citizens everywhere, I apologize to you. Husband and I will be sharing many more meals in the future. We have met the elderly, and they are us.