Susan’s new job
July 20, 2009
My sister-in-law began a new job this past year, teaching at a school of nursing. Unlike her old job, everyone in her area eats lunch together –half a dozen to a dozen people gather at one long table.
“Nobody said anything about it,” she says, “but everyone sort of shows up at noon in this big room that’s been set up as a kitchen. Some people go out and get something and bring it in; some people bring food from home.”
The women work at more or less the same level. Complaining is involved, but also talk about food, and talk about families.
“It really helps the collegiality,” Susan says. “You get to know each other, and gossip about work.” When I ask if it helped her to get to know her new workmates she says, “It’s helped them get to know me. At first, they didn’t ‘get’ me. Then, after awhile, they started to understand my humor.”
Susan goes on to tell me how much she enjoys bringing her little plastic containers from home. “I look forward to it,” she says. “I get to have just what I want.”
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. You can buy this book from our friends at Smucker's® Online Store.
