Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDXXXVI

I think it was back in '94 when I came up with my brilliant idea....we should put together a "couples trip" for the married couples in our church. It worked the way it was supposed to, I guess, with me being the one in charge of organizing it and putting it together, since the whole thing was my idea. We ended up with twenty-seven couples (fifty-four people) making the trip, and as far as I know, everyone had a great time. Well......almost everyone. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it, but planning two days and nights worth of activities and then making them happen requires a lot of work, so while most everyone else was having a good time, I was busy making sure we were ready for the next event. Someone had to do some work so all the others could have all the fun, and on that trip, I was that person. Every year around Thanksgiving time, we have a big family get-together at my sister's house. It's for my siblings and me, along with all our kids and grandchildren...a whole bunch of us. My brother in law always gets up before daylight and begins the work of roasting a hog for us to eat for our afternoon meal, and that's a job he has to stay with until meal time. While it's true that there's almost always someone out there with him, most of the activity is taking place either in or around the house, but he's so busy he has to miss out on everything but the roasting. Angie loves to cook for the family, a job she can handle with considerable skill. The trouble is, we can't all fit in the kitchen, so the family room is the place where all the good conversation is taking place, but she doesn't get to participate in much of it. Afterward, someone will mention something about something that was said earlier, and she doesn't know what we're talking about because she was in the kitchen when that subject was discussed. Whatever big activity is taking place, someone has to be responsible for making it happen, and that person has to miss out on much of the fun. It's not fair, but that's the way it is. It's not practical to always rent a building and hire a caterer, and when you do, you lose the atmosphere of home. Why don't you and I try to come up with a viable answer to this dilemma. I have no doubt there's a solution to the problem......I just don't know what it is. Preston