60% You Go America!

Have I ever mentioned that I have a huge crush on Charlie Gibson? I had some cold pizza, a glass of juice, and I was going to sit down for 15 minutes before I started the nonsense I should have done yesterday. All I could think was, "It's quarter to 7. I can still catch a little bit of Charlie." I never really was a nightly news fan, but honestly a lot goes on in the world and sometimes it's just nice to know that there is more out there than the radio clip (that was awful) that was due by 6 tonight (I'm totally getting a 6/10 on it. I just know it).

Charlie did not do me wrong tonight. He informed me that 60% of American families polled by ABC news ate dinner as a family. I can not tell you how much that warms my soul.

My mom was one busy woman, but every night we sat down and ate a dinner. I had no idea that this was unique until I left for college. After freshman year I learned my parents were probably the only couple in all of America who hadn't gotten a divorce (overexaggeration of course, but you get the point) and that my parents did things all wrong; they were supposed to throw money at their children and ignore them. Dinner was supposed to be optional.

That is one depressing thought isn't it. When I think of all of the happy times my family had around the kitchen table, I just can't help but laugh. My brother would moan and complain when dinner wasn't his favorite. We all moaned when it was beef stroganoff. I mean who invented that anyway. What a disgusting idea for a meal. Beef, creamy slop, and noodles. It just doesn't give me that warm fuzzy feeling listening to Charlie does.

Thankfully it looks like since my freshman year things have started to turn around. Maybe America is getting smart. I doubt it, but at least they're starting to eat dinner together.

The one downfall to this whole study. See this is why I love Charlie. He tells me the good news, but he never sugarcoats it. This world isn't always peaches and cream. Sometimes there are radio pieces due at 6 and sometimes there is nothing you can do to make your piece suck less. But yeah back to American families. While 60% of American families are eating dinner with their families, they are also letting electronics distract them during dinner. I hate to sound like an old fogey at 21, but THERE IS NOT TEXTING AT THE DINNER TABLE!!!

I know I was watching Charlie while savoring my cold pizza, but there was no TV near our kitchen table at home. I can honestly think of maybe one or two times when my family ate in front of the TV. It just really never happened. I would have it no other way. We're bombarded with emails, text messages, twitter updates, and TV shows all of the time. When I'm with my family, I love putting all of those things away and just enjoying real live people. It doesn't happen very often.

You know what makes me as happy as Charlie, and family meals? Well you probably could guess forever, or I could just tell you. It's tea. And I'm going to drink as many cups as I need to till I start to forget the radio clip. Mmmm warm comforting liquid.

Happy Eating!!!

Emily