Revisiting my Dinner and Dialogue Assignment

The Dinner and Dialogue assignment we had to do early on in the year is probably my least favorite piece I’ve produced here so far. However, I felt like I should share it publicly on here, because even though I’m definitely not proud of this piece, it helped me view spending time with my family as not something to dread, but rather something to enjoy. It made me realize that even though we definitely have some disagreements, I need to relish in the time I have with them and make every moment count.

When I first heard about doing this assignment, I internally cringed and groaned. Dinner with my entire family of 3, a massive number of people, I know, sounded like a political nightmare. I could only imagine the awkward exchanges, the scoffs from my mother, and my father playing the role of mediator during it all. I feel like my father expected this as well because when I came to him with this assignment, he had a look of excitement, sure, but also one of slight dread. The last time we ate as a family was probably the last holiday.

However, when the time came around to sit down and eat, we were both pleasantly surprised. Our dining room table was completely covered by paperwork and random items, so we sat in the living room to eat our microwavable dinners. Outside were my mother’s hummingbird feeders swarming with ruby-throated, tiny emerald birds beating their little wings faster than the eye can see, along with a few outdoor cats pouncing upwards to grab them. The shining birds were always quick enough to avoid the swiping of their paws, and the slender felines would lay down in front of the window after a tiring workout.


Gazing out at the vision of nature outside, my father brought up a new ice cream place he had discovered while he traveled for work, and that took up most of the conversation. For at least half an hour, my father went on about the giant milkshakes and cheesecake ice cream.


“Aren’t you lactose intolerant, Chris?” asked my mother.
“Yeah, but this was definitely worth it,” he replied, cracking a smile.


The dinner went on like this for around another thirty minutes as we talked about our days at work and school, along with new Netflix releases and music. It was surprisingly enjoyable, and as much as my teenage mind hates to admit this, I wouldn’t mind doing it again.

Author: Lauren Stamps

Just a writer who really likes fictional robots :)