I must confess that I was a bit uncomfortable reading this piece. I like Nancy’s writing and her great verve and knowledge about food. But reading this story I wondered how a participant at that dinner would feel like, reading it. After all PJM is not some secret and exclusive member blog! I also felt that she must have misconsrued some of the responses she was describing. There could, as we see from Y’s rejoinder, be any number of explanations as to why people behaved like they did.
Still, when I read it I thought I
recognized Nancy’s frustration, from a different angle. It is very much like I feel when I try to explain to people, friends, my bottomless enthusiasm about Jane Austen’s novels (for example). For the most part, I get watery smiles and polite concurrence but none of the reciprocity of enjoyment that would signal a genuine sharing of my sentiments. For Nancy, the restaurant was so wonderful, that she wanted the other guests to have that same wonderful experience. This is generosity, and I’m hoping Yehudit can see that, despite the ruffled feathers etc:-)
