Ebert on the Loss of Dining

Film critic Roger Ebert can no longer eat, drink or speak due to complications from thyroid cancer. He discusses his predicament with typical wit and eloquence in a blog entry from earlier this month. Interestingly, it's the dining, not the food, that he misses most.

Isn't it sad to be unable eat or drink? Not as sad as you might imagine. I save an enormous amount of time. I have control of my weight. Everything agrees with me. And so on.

What I miss is the society. Lunch and dinner are the two occasions when we most easily meet with friends and family. They're the first way we experience places far from home. Where we sit to regard the passing parade. How we learn indirectly of other cultures. When we feel good together. Meals are when we get a lot of our talking done -- probably most of our recreational talking. That's what I miss.

I don't think you can read this without getting a lump in your throat while cataloging the great meals of your life and being thankful for every last one of them.

As Warren Zevon once reminded us, "...enjoy every sandwich."