The dining dead.

The dining dead.
Current mood: bored

"Are we like couples you see in restaurants? Are we the dining dead? " - Joel, Eternal Sunshine

Last night, we went to Shoney's. It was dead as most of Smyrna were watching the fireworks. Few families here & there spread out. We were seated a table away from an older couple. When I say older, I mean it. He had a oxygen tank hooked to his pants - the tangled wires pulling up to his nose and curving around his ears. She was heavy-set, wrinkles, granny-face. Looked as though she only wore her teeth when she went out.

While there, I noticed the couple never made eye-contact. Never smiled at each other. No discussion. No questions. Nothing.

At first I thought that maybe they were just hungry. When you are starvin', there is no time to talk. But then the old man got choked. She never asked him if he was okay. She, honestly, didn't even looked up

I looked across the table at my mom & Poppy as they giggled like teenagers. It was a sharp contrast.

The old man finished his plate and said "welp, you ready to go?" she put her napkin in her plate and shook her head yes.

I hope that when I find the person I will grow old with, I will at least like them toward the end. Becoming a part of the dining dead doesn't interest me. I want to know that in my 70's, my husband will at least ask me if I'm okay if I am choked. Or ask me if I like the fish. Or...even acknowledge I'm there.