Nation of whining and dining



Photo by Rick Dikeman

As Diane Mapes recently reiterated, we’ve become a “nation of whiners.”  It seems as though we’re always grasping for one thing or another, and then whining when it doesn’t just instantly appear.

Nowhere is this more evident than at the average American restaurant.  It begins from the moment of

entry.  If there’s a (gasp) line, or even a bit of a crowd, the complaining begins:  I didn’t come here to wait, I came here to be waited on!



Then there’s the table dilemma.  He wants the one near the door in order to keep an eye on that suspicious character near the family car.  She wants the one in the back near the soft lights and restrooms.  They (the kids) want to be near the neighbors that they just spotted in the corner.

When the waitress arrives, chaos reigns.  Each diner has what they feel is just a slight change to the menu offerings.  He wants “real milk” for the coffee instead of half-and-half.  She wants to know whether there is any meat in the tomato sauce.  The kids want to know whether ice cream can be substituted for the salad.

Sociology tells us that these behaviors are a reflection of cultural patterns.  Religion tells us that they are also a reflection of spiritual patterns.  Whining indicates an inner state of craving (Buddhism), illusion (Hinduism),

and coveting (Abrahamic faiths).

                                        

Our attachment to externals can be easily detected by the degree to which we whine when the waitress forgets our napkin, fork, ketchup, fries, and (you name it).



Resources

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40281993

Copyright December 9, 2010 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved  (Another example of attachment!)