The "You're having Supper at what time?!!" Story

It was an ordinary day. 6:30 and getting ready to eat supper. Carol is supposed to work until 3:00, but always donates an extra hour or so to the Parish Resource Center where she works so she usually pulls into the garage about 4:30 or so, depending on the traffic. I usually try to quit work at noon at the gallery or at school when I happen to be there printing. My afternoons are for working around the house or making photos in my basement workshop for sale at the couple of stores that sell my photos. So, until we sit down and talk about our days and any other important items, it usually is around 6:30 before we have a chance to get supper. Sometimes I prepare the evening meal and sometimes Carol will take on that chore. It is usually around this same time that my mom calls to see what is happening at our house. When I tell her we are getting supper ready she can't believe we haven't already eaten our meal. She is a resident of the retirement home called Moravian Manor in nearby Lititz, PA and they sit down to eat their evening meal at 4:45. Most of the residents are older and probably have gotten used to eating at home or in restaurants where the "Early Bird Special" gave them a better price for their meal. I can remember when I was a child we would eat as soon as my dad would walk in the door from work. He quit work at 5:00 and until he would walk home it would be 5:30. She would call for me out the back door and I would hustle home for supper. That's when the woman in the family was a housewife wearing pearls around her neck and a dress or nice blouse and skirt almost every day. No shorts or old clothes allowed. Just like on "Leave it to Beaver." If you were still eating after 6:00 or 6:30 there must have been some special reason for that. When Carol and I travel to St. Martin each spring for our annual dose of sunshine and rum we usually return from the beach late in the afternoon, shower and head out to eat about 6:00. Can't go any earlier, since most places don't open until 6:00. We are usually one of the first couples to arrive at whatever restaurant we might be going to that evening and I don't believe we have every had to make reservations because of our early arrival. We enjoy that time of day for our evening meal because we almost always chose open beachfront restaurants and we can watch the sunset as we share our meal. One of the most beautiful times of the day to share a great meal. At times we inquire as to the most popular times for dining and anywhere from 7:30 to 9:00 seems to be a logical time for most. We often wonder what people do until 9:00. I probably have a few guesses, but not for here. The late dining crowd probably heads to the clubs or casinos after their meal, while Carol and I head home for a dip in the pool, another shower, some reading time, then bed. Heck, we sometimes are in bed by 9:00. What time do you eat your evening meal? When I tell my mom that some people don't eat until 9:00 she doesn't believe me. "No one eats that late. They would have to go to bed on a full stomach and that's not good for you," she tells me. People who were born in the pre-WWII era almost always ate by 5:00. They had no TV so it was early to bed. Times have changed so much as to when it is expected that you eat your evening meal. For me, there is no right or wrong time. Eat when you are hungry is a good motto for me, or no later than 6:30! You know you shouldn't go to bed with a full stomach, right! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - photo shows me with my mom waiting for dad to come home for supper. Notice the skirt and blouse she has on. How about the neat white dog ash tray next to us. Both my mom and dad were smokers. Back in the 50s it was fashionable for adults to smoke.