Where's lunch being served?

I am living and I am learning especially when it comes to reactions to death. I am also embracing my many moods and writing articles accordingly. Thanks to Vocal's hundreds of categories to choose from, I can come up with a story based on practically anything. Today I am finding humor related to the way some people frequent funerals looking for a good meal. As a child, all the funerals I attended were held at the local Baptist church. After the deceased was buried in his or her grave, everyone went back to the family home to eat.

Later in life, I noticed that church members of the deceased or his or her family would provide the food and drinks and feed the bereaved in the church fellowship hall after the service. If there were anything left over it was supposed to be boxed up for the family to take home. I have been witness, however, to those who serve the meal, helping themselves and sneaking food to their vehicles in order to feed their own families.

I have also joined family members at local restaurants after a loved one has been eulogized. In these situations, everything may be provided or you have to pay your own way. I admit that the occasions where there was a repast I benefited from the fact that I would not have to cook at least one meal on that day. What I have not done is have the attitude of the robust gentleman in A Christmas Carol but for some, this seems to be the norm.

When the ghost of Christmas yet to come reveals to Ebeneezer Scrooge his possible future there are two disturbing scenes. One is when a woman is trying to sell the belonging of the deceased before he is cold in his grave. The second is when a group of men is standing around talking and making it clear that Mr. Scrooge had no friends. One of them is tall and robust and he announces that he will attend the funeral of Scrooge if he can do lunch. His exact wording is: "I don't mind going if lunch will be provided.

I have always thought this was a crude thing to say in the midst of death. I then assumed this was related only to Ebenezer Scrooge because he was a miser and no one cared for him. Within the past decade, however, I have come to realize that this is a real occurrence and that Charle Dickens probably got it from an experience he dealt with. I have read that Dickensthought of this statement more than I sho had family members who were sent to wor houses including his young siblings.

This was his inspiration behind having Scrooge say to the men who were seeking alms for the poor: "Are there no workhouses or prisons." The workhouse were debtors prisons where the poor worked off their debts. If Dickens endured this shame and separation from his family he probably heard someone saying they would attend a funeral only if they would be fed. I recall a short thin dark complexioned woman who was referred to as Ms. Whitt who attended many funerals. People spoke about her so much that I began looking for her each time I attended a service.

Back then I assumed that she just liked to dress up and attend homegoing services but now I wonder. Could Ms. Whitt have been one of those individuals who were looking for a free meal? I think about a few years back when there was a repass after the death of one of my uncles. It was at a local restaurant and everyone was supposed to pay their own way. Later my aunt told me about 2 men who showed up and ate and left and she had to pay for their meal.

After the last 2 funerals, I attended were concluded, I overheard a few people asking if there were going to be a repast and where. I immediately began hearing in my mind, " I don't mind going if lunch is provided." I see a vision of the large man in A Christmas Carol and smile to myself. I'm wondering why during COVID anyone would ask such a thing? Large gatherings, especially funerals have led to the deaths of hundreds from this strain of the coronavirus. I would think most sensible folk would attend a service, social distance, and then go home and sanitize.

eOn the flip side, a woman recently paid for a venue to hold a repast and was warned not to do it because no one would show up. I later found out that only a few people went to eat with her. This was no doubt to COVID concerns and I believe quite wise. Still. I continue to hear of those 2 or 3 who are disappointed because they did not get a free meal after someone had been eulogized or memorialized.

COVID is changing the way many things are done and hosting a repast is only one of them. I've braced myself that I'm probably going to see the image of the large man from A Christmas Carol in my head again because most assuredly there are those who will be looking for a free meal after someone dies in spite of the pandemic. I love to eat and fellowship just as much as the next person but I have accepted that right now it's not a wise thing to do.