A Mosaic of Color and Depth
After the relaunch of our home-based dinners in October, I received the letter below from the host, Walter. It’s a bit long, yet I feel it is important to share it in its entirety. I ask you to please read to the end.
October 17, 2023
Hi Tina,
Let me start by saying thank you for the work you have done with Transformation Table, casting vision and working so hard to bring these experiences to the community. Prior to the dinner we hosted last weekend, I was only slightly familiar with the organization, with most of my exposure coming by way of my wife Terry’s connections. When Terry told me that she had volunteered to host a dinner and that my son-in-law Glad would be preparing Ethiopian food for the meal, my first reaction was, “What did you do?” and my second reaction was, “Do I have to be there?” She had floated the idea before, and I knew that Glad would do an amazing job with the food.
Since we share the home we live in with my daughter, Glad, and their 4-year old daughter, I have had the pleasure of many amazing Ethiopian meals that Glad has prepared. What I was not thrilled about was the thought of hosting a table full of strangers for a few hours. I was anticipating having to navigate awkward conversations or enduring long periods of nervous silence. I knew, however, that in the end, regardless of my feeble protests, this was happening, and I would be there.
I must say that the experience was completely different than I thought it would be.
From the beginning in the afternoon, Tonisia (the Tamada) made me immediately feel at ease by her friendly personality. We had a shared life experience, since I worked for 5 years in Chester, SC., the town she grew up in.
The people that attended the dinner were some of the most interesting and engaging people I have met since moving to Charleston four years ago. The variety of life experiences, personalities, and journeys represented at the table was a spectrum of color and depth. Instead of the shallow conversations I expected, the conversations were heartfelt, engaging, and thought-provoking. I was pleasantly surprised and found myself drawn into the experience.
At one point after the end of the main course, Glad was demonstrating the Ethiopian tradition of coffee roasting and set off the smoke alarm. The group decided to move onto the back porch of our house and wait for the noise to clear. The conversations continued outside in smaller clusters in a seamless transition. We were also able to see some of the colors of the sunset from the porch overlooking the marsh of Bear Swamp and Rantowles Creek to the west.
After we went back inside, the coffee was served and afterwards, Tonisia, the Tamada, asked everyone for their thoughts and feelings about the experience. One by one everyone expressed their thoughts, all positive. It was apparent to me that the expressions were genuine. Each person was asked to sign the white tablecloth with the colored markers on the side table. Finally, it came my turn. I waited until the end, thinking maybe I would escape without having to say anything. I reflected on the experience and what came to my mind was an image of some of the amazing sunsets I have seen since we moved into our home about a year ago. This was the impression I shared:
Each of the people that I had met were from different backgrounds, experiences and colors, and individually they have depth and beauty that we can appreciate. But when we gather together around a table and share a meal and our stories, we become a mosaic of color and depth that rivals the art of sunset or field of flowers. Like the sunset, each experience and perspective will be different, and the identify and nature of the artist may be clouded in mystery. But we can all appreciate the beauty of the moment and relive the experience in our memories even if the artist remains anonymous.
I didn’t know how to capture what I had experienced in words, so I missed the opportunity to sign the cloth. I can, however, paint a picture for you now. I think if I had any artistic skill, I would have created a visual expression composed of a foreground of flowers on the cloth under each of the comments. The stem of each cluster of flowers rising up to surround the words. The colors and shapes of each of the flowers would be different and would blend into a background of a colorful sunset framed by trees and overlooking a marsh.
I would encourage other people to engage in this exprience as host or guest in the future. From my experience, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Thanks again, Tina.
Walter
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THIS is why we do what we do.
As we wrap up 2023, we’d love to end the year on a high note of having met our goal of $10,000 for equitable access to our dinners, so anyone in the community can experience what Walter did around his own table. We know Transformation Table changes people. We know it can change communities. One Table at a time.
Muito obrigada. Thank you.
Tina