community tables

community tables. intimacy. may seem like a paradox, but i am convinced they are very much related. le pain quotidien is known for its welcoming rustic community table, with uninhibited conversation as its centerpiece. as i anticipated to have a midday treat today - quite the intimate affair - i was pleasantly comforted by the people around me. from all angles, there was talk. talk about the midterm elections. a woman making the big move into her boyfriend's apartment. and my favorite: travels through spain. here i thought i was having intimate time with Me, Myself, and I. and i'm sure the people around me thought the same - that their conversations were intimately expressed, received, and locked in. but at the community table, your intimacy becomes my intimacy. your emotions - i feel. for those moments we strangers are sitting at the community table, we are community. and i think it's absolutely lovely. so when i say i'm going to have "me" time, i can't help but look forward to meeting those people who make that time so much richer...all at the table.