This story is in response @mariannewest 's prompt for day 102 of her 5-minute freewrite challenge. Today's prompt was cracker.
Oh gosh, my mouth is dry. Is that even true? Do crackers really dry out your mouth? Can you really not whistle after eating a cracker?
To be honest, I have no grounds upon which to denigrate these common pieces of cracker wisom. I've never taken the time to test them out as I'm not the biggest fan of crackers in general. Especially (but not limited to) the generic square salty kind.
We were never cracker people, in my family. We never had dips out in little bowls as some kind of pre-supper snack with a second fancy bowl of assorted crackers to dip into the dip. Never had that kind of nonsense at my house growing up. The meal was the meal and it consisted of a piece of meat, some steamed vegetables, a big-ass salad, and usually some potatoes. No place for fancy crackers on that table.
After meeting my wife's family, I was exposed to the true cultured cracker scene for the first time. The cracker and dip is an event. They're all about having this special little pre-supper dipping-crackers-into-special-sauces time before the actual main meal. I don't understand it. It's not that I despise it, I don't even dislike the dips. Some of them taste fine. I just... don't understand the point of it. And the hardest part, I don't totally understand why I don't understand what it's all about.
It make sense when I talk it through to myself. You have this time when people can gather before the meal and keep their hunger at bay with little cracker snacks while also providing some time for catching up with one another, for real talk between people who care about each other. It's making the meal into a non-rushed thing that is less about eating and more about coming together and communing as an actual community of people.
So I get it when I speak it out to myself. But when I arrive at my in-laws' house for supper and I see all those dips layed out on the living room table with all these fancy crackers, it still causes a little twitch of ugh inside of me, a purely emotion-based objection silently screaming why?
Now I'm questioning my own assumptions about meal time. Are pre-dinner crackers common? The only time there were crackers and dip available before a meal in my family was at a big get-together that lasted the whole day, like Thanksgiving or a summer party with lots of guests. Just a dinner, though? The dinner was the dinner and there weren't any crackers.
Hehe, yeah I'm not sure if they do it every night (i.e. when they eat alone). But they definitely have a pre-dinner living room snack-setup on any night night that anybody is coming over, even if it's just me and my wife. I've gotten used to it, and in ways it's kinda of nice as it creates a built in routine where you're expected to just sit down and talk. But it did take some getting used to, just because it was different from what I'd typically do with my family around mealtimes.
I'm wondering the same thing as @saryn! If it's just for big get togethers...is there a chance that they made the dips and crackers for you the first time they had you over? It feels a little ironic lol
Very interesting freewrite. I too, am now wondering about that. When I go to any type of function, there always seems to be crackers and dip. We eat crackers here, but not as a gathering, just as a late night snack. Wheat thins and triscuits, sometimes with cheese.
Interesting freewrite. We weren't a cracker family either. Crackers maybe, but that's another story!
Just dropping by to deliver the prompt for today
https://steemit.com/freewrite/@mariannewest/day-104-5-minute-freewrite-wednesday-prompt-cigarettes
As a kid we never had dips and crackers. But we did have cheese and crackers. Love cheddar cheese on a cracker, with pickle. Butter optional. :)
It is funny how we assume that the norms we grew up with make more sense than other people's normal :)
I like snacks at parties, but not right before a meal. Leave some time in between....