McDonald's in the Morning

I took my oldest son to the orthodontist a couple of days ago. After that on the way to school we stopped for breakfast at McDonalds. As we went in, my son, who usually does not see much of the breakfast menu at restaraunts due to his sleeping schedule, said why are all these people here. Then he said in a typical teenage way " Why are all the people in here old? "

I explained to him that for old folks going out for breakfast each morning, or at least a cup of coffee with friends is a highlight of their day. I think that for kids especially, wondering what Grampa and Gramma do when they are at home is not something that they do.

I told him that all of us, old people, working people, young people all need each other. We all need social outlets. People need people.

As we were the fly on the wall at McDonald's we watched older ladies talking about their grandchildren, politics and church suppers. We watched men talking about the NCAA tournament, the weather and their wives nagging. I think that children are so self abosorbed much of the time they think of older people as only existing when they are with them.

I compared what we saw with my friendship with some of my co workers at my former employer. We had a great group of individuals. If you polled each and every one of us we would all tell you of the respect we had for each other and the fact that we had lunch together each day. We used to say that we solved the world's problems each and every day. Having that social time together to talk about everything and nothing at all was a huge benefit to us. It is not a stretch to say that it at times was the time of the day we looked forward to most of all. We of course would not say that in front of our wives or children but at times it was true.

Our kids today play XBOX, this Call of Duty game in an excessive way. I think it is silly. However we have to recognize that for them this is a social outlet. They strap on their headphones and talk, exchanging male bravado all the time. The fact is that while McDonalds, an office at work, or a kids bedroom with X box headphones attached would not seem to have much in common they do.

We all need people. We all need to share our lives. I myself can be a solitary person. I enjoy things that one can do oneself. I can sit in the backyard swing on a sunny day, alone and in thought, and be totally content. Still I know that if I need or desire to spend time with someone I have people I can call. My wife on the other hand is a total social butterfly. Give her a weekend day, tell her to stay home and be quiet and she will by the middle of the day look like a child who ate 12 candy bars, she will get antsy and fidgety. She needs to see people, to do things and fortunately for her she has a list of good friends that is long and deep.

No matter if we have a couple of really good friends or a host of them we all need the same thing.

I told my son , who is by nature, more closed off than me, that he needs to remember as he gets older that he never needs to be afraid of telling those who care about him that he needs them, or just needs to talk. A true friend is one of the rarest and most valuable things you can have...even if you do find one at McDonalds.