I walked into Panera yesterday for a late lunch after walking the “Steps of Death” NINE times! I was starving by 2:00! And their super yummy Green Goddess salad is only 520 calories for the whole size. A bargain after burning off a couple thousand calories on Parkersburg’s Stairmaster.

I placed my order and was looking for a booth to wait for the pager to go off. I passed a couple “having lunch” together. I use “having lunch” loosely because there WAS food on the table and they WERE sitting together. But they might as well have been on separate planets because each had their noses pressed to a flat screen. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I have been guilty of looking at my phone while dining. But it really hits home when I see a couple living parallel lives, especially now. I’d give anything to have lunch with Mr. Virgo again. And I can promise you, I would NOT be looking at a phone screen when I could be looking into those beautiful blue eyes.
Mr. Virgo did his PhD thesis on the lost art of dining. And that was before smart phones. Dining and conversation were huge things for him.

Please…pay attention to your dining partner. Put your phone away and be present. There will come a day when you’ll be terribly glad you did…trust me on this.

❤️