Serious Stories

Imagine that you're at a dinner party, standing by the fireplace with a small plate of hors d'oeuvres, when you mention to the people nearby that you'd like to talk about Easter. Imagine someone responding, "No, thank you, we are having a serious discussion about education in America." So you listen for a while as they discuss things like class sizes, teachers' salaries, and how high their property taxes are. Then they start reminiscing about their own school days, yellow school buses, packing a lunch, high school proms, and pop quizzes. You want to interrupt and bring up other details, such as how too many teachers burn out or end up having to buy class supplies with their own money, or how peer pressure can be so destructive that it leads many young people to consider suicide; but there's never a break in the conversation. So you walk over to another group and mention to them that you'd like to talk about Easter. Someone else responds, "No, thanks, we are having a serious conversation about hunger in America." So you listen for a while as they discuss how sad it is that people still need food pantries and soup kitchens, and how the canned food drive held last week was a big success, but the price of groceries keeps going up and you can never find a good parking place near the Whole Foods; and even with all the microwave entrees to choose from, it is hard to find things to eat. You want to interrupt and mention other details, such as how hunger is a silent reality for millions of Americans who are too embarrassed to admit the gnawing pain in their empty stomachs, like the elderly caught between buying food or buying medicine, or young children who simply cannot understand why there's nothing to eat in the house. But, sadly, there's never a break in the conversation, so you remain silent.