Aggressive Hospitality

I may have mentioned it before, but my "first friend" at church is someone who demonstrates aggressive hospitality. It started my first day there with an invasion of personal space, and a two-handed handshake. You know the kind...they're literally clasping your hands in theirs, with the gravity of someone shaking your hand after your mother died.

After the hand shaking, she also wanted to sit with me in church, and invited me to come to an advent activity, which I only learned later was a children's activity where I would be corralled into being "a mom for the night."

Given her background of well-meaning, but in my opinion, aggressive hospitality, I was a little concerned about being invited over for a "dinner for six." She told me they were 1 person short of the Presbyterian church required six, and I said yes. I couldn't be sure it wasn't a set up of some kind, but when I saw the table I knew it was the real deal.

I've said it before, but no one puts together a beige meal like a Midwesterner. There was corn in a buttery sauce, pork roast, cole slaw (only minor hints of green and orange), barley, and brown bread. It was the perfect palette...nothing too strong, spicy, or seasoned. This was the real thing people.

Surprisingly, at least to me, it turned out to be a great evening. Despite the bland food, the conversation was good. We were all very different, but we got along. I didn't get away without hugging the hostess, but at least it wasn't while we were holding hands.