USA. A Mexican restaurant. We had not yet ordered anything, and the food was already arriving.
Chips. Salsa. Unrequested. Free.
I stopped the waiter. "We have not earned these."
"They just come with the table, man."
They come with the TABLE. In my land, hospitality is a debt. Every gift creates an obligation, weighed carefully, returned in the proper season with interest of feeling. Here, the gift arrives before you have even proven you can pay for dinner.
This is not an appetizer. This is a declaration: we trust you. Eat.
I ate with the gravity the moment deserved. And then — I must report this calmly — the basket emptied, and a new one appeared.
"Did we…?"
"Refill," the waiter said. "It's bottomless."
Bottomless. They have wells of salsa. The supply lines of this nation are beyond anything my ancestors imagined.
My friend warned me. "Don't fill up on chips, dude."
Too late. I had accepted three baskets. Honor demanded each one be finished — an unfinished gift is an insult. By the time my actual food arrived, I was a ruined man.
I was not hungry. I was not comfortable. I had been defeated by a courtesy.
Generosity that arrives before the request cannot be repaid. It can only be survived.
I know the rule now. I have made my peace with the basket. One basket. Two at the most.
Who am I deceiving. There is no number of baskets I would refuse. The trust of a nation is in that salsa, and I intend to honor all of it.
Stranger Things takes place in the 80s and I understand there’s a lot of shit going down in Hawkins but I find it unrealistic that not a single person has talked about Larry Bird. I’m not even asking for an extensive discussion, just someone to say “damn, Bird put up 42 on the Knicks last night”.
If you woke up today and:
-Have a job where you can make money
-Have your health
-Can call both your parents
-Have access to food & water
-Can go move your body & sweat
It's a good day regardless of what your brain is trying to tell you.
THE ST. LOUIS BLUES ARE IN THE HOUSE
Being down 2-0 gives you the chance to do something really special! Become the NIGHTMARES you know you can be tonight against Winnepeg!
Thank you Coach Montgomery, Jordan Binnington and all the @StLouisBlues let's get a win tonight!
We are heartbroken over the passing of Coach Abdur-Rahim.
A tremendous man & leader with an infectious personality that was a shining light to all he encountered.
Our thoughts & prayers are with his family, friends and everyone that he left a lasting impact on.
BREAKING: Duke transfer forward Mark Mitchell, a former 5⭐️ recruit, has committed to Missouri, he tells @on3.
The 6-7 former McDonald’s All-American averaged 11.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game this season.
https://t.co/UaDSX9X56W