One of those special things we have in common with everyone is eating, and for that reason I have found the bonding process happens more quickly and transparently ‘at the table.’ If you walked the Camino I hope that you are already reviewing in your head the friends you made at a meal, or café con leche or vino or caña stop.

Today Ann and I are in a nice hotel in El Acebo  that is also an albergue and we were encouraged by the staff to join in the 7 pm pilgrims menú dinner.  We  choose to sit at a table by ourselves but we could not miss the multi-lingual conversations and story sharing at the big pilgrim table that are also factors in the bonding process.

So my thoughts saunter over to this ‘table’ we all share with Phil, the great stories we have heard from him and others, the food, be it tapas at the ranch or more virtual nourishment via the movie or words.  And then on to my own physical Camino experience  a few years ago. I think of how special my Camino family members are to me and how many of you are at my virtual table.

So I invite you to do something I learned from an exceptional young man, Justin Graves, who at the time was a student at the university where I worked.

He calls it ‘invite a stranger to dinner’ and it involves asking someone you just met, or an existing friend, to have dinner with you at a restaurant (Dutch treat) and to invite a couple of people they know. He gets about 6 people to agree to do it and reserves a table for 20 (yes) at some local fun eating place. You could play with a smaller number and have some conditions like ‘vaccinated friends’ in these days, but the result is that at least half of the people don’t know one another. Get everyone to introduce themselves in one sentence and let the fun begin. Really, that’s how many Camino friendships begin, right?

These things like eating together need some practice as we regain the ability to do it safely. I recently celebrated my birthday with 6 beloved friends at the table and it felt great.

And don’t forget sharing the table at Oasis, August 20 – 24 at Phil’s place on Vashon Island. Ann and I plan to be there.  Will you be At The Table with me?

In invitational love,

Ronaldo

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Oasis 2021 – 20th to 23rd August, 2021

RSVP to [email protected]