Why We Should Invite More People Over For Dinner

Food is and always has been a point of connection for people. It used to be that we would sit around fires in the dark of the forest gnawing on bones of roasted meat. We would tell stories, developing bonds which would form the first communities, villages, and eventually empires.

When new groups of friendly people would bump into each other food would be offered as a sign of piece and friendship. The two groups of people would sit around a fire sharing food, and telling their stories. The food would be the medium which connected these two otherwise separate groups.

That’s a part of what food has been for all of history. A bridge that facilitates the transfer of ideas, knowledge and friendship from one side to the other. But at some point, in very recent history we lost that.

Rarely do we sit and have a meal with our own families, let alone with friends, neighbours, or God forbid strangers. Because of this we are missing a piece of humanity. We are missing a part of that connection.

All of this is why I think you and me, all of us, should invite more people over for dinner. Not just family, or people we know really well, but people we hardly know. People we want to get to know better.

I believe that by inviting more people into our homes, to share meals and stories, we will do exactly what our ancestors did. We will forge connections, build friendships, and expand our communities.

I don’t know why, or when we stopped doing this. Or when we started to isolate ourselves from people rather than insulating ourselves with them. But I think it’s time that we put an end to it. The connections that we share with one another are the very thing that make us human. Those connections are our humanity.

I know that this may come off as a bit preachy, but I think it’s important. And so I issue a challenge to you. Try it. Invite some people over for dinner. Maybe friends that you haven’t seen in a while, or people you want to become more friendly with. Do it, and then do it again with a different group of people. And then do it again, and again.

It doesn’t have to be every night, or even every week. But try once a month. Even once every two months. I’m willing to bet that even if you do it once, you will find a connection that will surprise you. You will hear stories that may give you a new perspective. And you will take part in a time honoured human tradition that connects us all. That is why I think we should all invite more people over for dinner.

Chef Ben Kelly