There’s something deeply profound about the act of breaking bread together. It’s not simply a matter of filling bellies – it’s the cornerstone of a community, the very bedrock upon which society is built. I can’t help but lament over the sharp decline in this age-old tradition of dining together as a family, particularly here in Schenectady, the town I’ve lived in and loved all my life.
Over a noisy platter of dishes, gravy boats and heated exchanges, identities were forged, disagreements settled, and generations connected. But a few decades later it seems the tide is unexpectedly turning. A busy 21st century lifestyle, enabled by ubiquitous digital distractions, means we’ve tossed aside our turkey basters for take-outs and our dining tables for smartphones.
You see, I’ve been an ink slinger for this town’s news for a half-century now, and folks around here know me as Brian McCarthy. Some call me ornery. Others call me old fashioned. But let me tell you something, folks: it’s not about being stuck in the past, but about cherishing what’s best about it. It’s about understanding and appreciating that human connection can’t be replaced by connectivity.
Still not convinced? Consider this: according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), teens who have frequent family dinners are less likely to use drugs and alcohol. Yet, the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) revealed a shocking 43% decrease in family dinners from the 1980s to today. It’s not rocket science, my friends. Our priorities are skewed.
Think back, if you will, to the days when Schenectady still smelled of foundries and engine oil from the locomotive factories. My hardscrabble, Irish-immigrant dad worked an absurd number of hours a week at the General Electric, but no matter how tired he was, and God knows he must’ve been exhausted, we had dinner together. Every night, no matter what. Ma would make her famous meatloaf, pop would crack open a beer, and the seven of us would sit together on that oak-finished table and eat, tease, argue and, most importantly, connect.
Every bite marked the rhythm of our conversation – the boss giving dad a hard time, Pete flunking Maths, Jenny bringing home her first boyfriend. Life unfolded in irreplaceable, minuscule moments of shared revelations and conversations. Now, that rhythm has been interrupted, or worse, replaced by a cacophony of smartphone notifications and hurried meals in front of screens.
Fast forward to today. As an American Academy of Pediatrics study revealed, this trend of eating together has gradually slipped away from us, with only 30% of families making time for dinner together every night.
One evening, when my own kids were younger, I remember seeing them at the dinner table, all engrossed in their cellular devices. Their chuckles echoed in the room, not from any shared family joke, not from a peculiar anecdote, but from some 10-second clip dancing across their screens. In front of them, their dinner untouched, growing cold. And that’s when it hit me. Our dinner table had lost its warmth, not from lack of hot food or the clinking of cutlery, but from the absence of heart, of laughter, of familial camaraderie.
It may sound like I got an uncritical nostalgia for the good old days or perhaps, that I don’t have enough newfound troubles to rant about. But I assure you, dear reader, my concern is focused on an alarming, greater trend that isolates us, traps us in our personalized, digital bubbles, and keeps us from sharing the most human of experiences – breaking bread together.
In this age of connection, we’re ironically more disconnected than ever before. And, for the life of me, I can’t help but worry about the sort of world we’re creating for our children – devoid of the warmth of family bonding and shared meals – a world where being alone together is the new norm, and family gatherings are reserved for special occasions or, even more horrifying, for Facebook posts.
There’s still time to resuscitate what appears to be a dying tradition. It’s high time we turned off the screens and turned towards each other. Let’s appreciate the nuanced art of pie-making, the joys of baking a loaf of bread together or the simple act of setting the table. Let the rhythms of an old kitchen resonate with echoes of laughter and kinship. Let the act of breaking bread be our solace, our teacher, our shared moment of joy, and our reminder of what it means to be a family. Embrace these moments, Schenectady, our community, and our history is worth it.
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