Communal eating : life lessons learnt

When I share about how I enjoyed this communal eating as a child people look at me and ask me questions such as
Was it fair?
Was it hygienic?
Was it really nice?
Was it necessary?

What lessons can be drawn from the communal eating experience?

Patience is important!
Its not easy seeing pieces of meat and not picking when one wishes.
The time to pick the piece of meat shall come..

Is there not a saying that goes…
Good things come to those who wait.
In life , not everything is instant.
The variety of instant products on the market today gives people the wrong perception that being in leadership is instant.

And when picking the piece of meat, one had to pick from the available ones.One could not grab from the one who had picked prior because it was juicer, bigger or looked more appetising.
In life we do not always get what we want.
Maybe what you got is not your first choice, work with the second best option.
Wishing that you had the best piece will not take you anywhere.
Wallowing in self pity is of no consequence.
While you wish and wallow in self pity , others are breaking pieces of sadza and dipping them in the relish.
You actually risk losing out on so much more just because of one piece…

Discipline- there are rules for each game!

Know the rules, abide by the rules.
Know and understand your boundaries.
You just cannot decide to eat anyhow while there are other team members to consider.

Neither can you decide to eat with the elders while you are still a child.Understand that you might not keep up with their pace of eating …

Table manners are important.Manners should be taught, modelled and reinforced.

The way one eats should not annoy others or cause them to caution you

One should eat what is closest to them first and not play the merry go round in their plate .

Leaders are born everywhere, life’s situations are full of leadership opportunities .One should look out for the weak and take care of their needs.

It was the leader who made sure that those who sat down to eat had washed their hands and washed properly.

Even before equity was understood by many our grandmothers were implementing it! Peers were in same teams.

Being the youngest doesnt mean that one has all things done for them. Each member should have age appropriate tasks.

Sitting in those small groups reinforced one thing, food is enjoyed when one has company.

Eating from the same enamel plates doesnt trend anymore but family meals are important for good relations.

There is a Shona saying which says Hukama igasva hunozadzisa nekudya loosely translated relations are cemented by eating or sharing food.

When people are eating, they are relaxed becoming their real selves.

The power of eating together can never be under estimated.

When its within your power make sure you eat with your family as just what may seem like small talk over lunch or supper might bring sunshine into the life of one surrounded by gloom.

Allow meal times to be quality bonding time.

Meal times should be opportunities to catch up on what is taking place in the different lives.

Eating together should be a celebrated culture where all gadgets are put aside and each bite is tasted, chewed and enjoyed.

Such will live in the memories of all members.