I knew I was in the right place when the guy at the counter told me he used to in LA and asked me if I had been to Brent’s Deli.
Knew that when he mentioned Canter’s and a couple of other spots he had a sense of the kind of deli I was used to and figured it was a good sign.
Grabbed a sandwich and some soup and headed back to the house for a working lunch and hoped it tasted as good as it smelled.
Got home and decided it was pretty good and made a note to go back Monday afternoon.
Wouldn’t be the same as having a family meal but then again we used to hit a deli after Rosh Hashanah services so in that sense it would be good.
Make a list of my comfort foods and you’ll find deli high on my list, even if I am 30 years younger than everyone around me.
It’s A Little Different
It is different hitting delis in Texas, first because I have only found one I consider to be a deli.
Secondly it is funny to be able to walk through one and be like a ghost people can’t see.
Not to say I don’t think I have a presence or suggest that everyone should know me because that is not it.
But after all of the time living in LA and participating in synagogue life, Jewish groups, camps and what have you it is virtually impossible not to see someone you know at a deli.
Someone is either eating or picking up food for a function later on.
Anyhoo, lunch time hit today and I realized I didn’t have any of my comfort food for dinner and decided I needed some so I made a quick run.
Logic, Feelings and Stuff
My first visit to Dallas was in ’93 and I knew then that Texas was a place I could live but I had no idea that I ever would.
I mention that because something about Friday Night Lights made me think I would.
Can’t tell you what exactly but something in this trailer sets off a ping that is familiar to me.
It is on a list of shows and or movies that have caught my eye because I like something in the story and or characters.
I just finished the first season of Luke Cage and found myself flying through it not just because I enjoyed the story but because of how they weaved so many others into it.
They mention Daredevil, Jessica Jones and The Avengers.
I love the layers and depth and there is something in all of these that intersects and makes me wonder what sort of stories I can put together.
A deli is a good place to think about what those stories are and or take time to jot down some notes.
The best stories are a combination of logic, feelings and stuff.
The Iceberg
Got stuck next to a guy on a plane who asked lots of questions and was disappointed with one word answers.
“You are like an iceberg.”
“Are you calling me frigid? Some people might disagree.”
“No, I know there is more you could say. Everyone is like an iceberg, we don’t show most of who we are to other people.”
I suppose he is right about some of it. Not sure I would try to build a rapport with someone by calling them an iceberg but that is me.
A good story with interesting characters doesn’t always have to show more than the portion of the ‘berg above water, but it should make you want to learn about the portion underneath about a few.
I suppose it is fair to say I am more iceberg like than I used to be.
Small talk has become less and less interesting to me.
When I am interested in talking and being engaged I can talk all night, but I find less motivation for that now.
I enjoy the presence of the silence and the opportunities for learning it brings.
If I could I’d ask the bear in the photo above about small talk, stories and family moments.
I’d be very curious to hear if its thoughts extend beyond taking care of basic needs.
They might have some great stories to tell if you could only bear with them.
