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Life Lessons over Lunch: A first sit-down restaurant an what happened next! · Family Tree Food Stories

• 0:03
  . Sylvia Lovely: Hello, I'm Sylvia Lovely along with Nancy May, co hosts
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  of Family Tree Food and Stories.
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  College was not in my life master plan.
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  My parents, born to poverty in the hills of eastern Kentucky, did
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  not even finish high school, much less give a thought to college.
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  I was raised in Dayton, Ohio, where my parents headed for opportunity
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  and good paying factory jobs.
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  But one desire, their holy grail, Was making sure their
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  children got a good education.
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  Obligingly, I did very well in school.
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  I remember making a casual but fateful announcement as a senior in high school.
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  Mom, I said one day out of the blue, I want to go to college.
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  She stopped what she was doing.
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  A look on her face halfway between the terror of seeing a ghost and the
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  elation of having her favorite movie star appear in the flesh before her.
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  Finally, the movie star won out.
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  Well, this is great news, she gushed.
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  She didn't stop there.
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  You can go to Wright State University and live at home.
• 1:02
  Wright State?
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  At home?
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  It reverberated in my head.
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  It was two subdivisions away from our house, practically in the backyard.
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  Out of nowhere, my mouth blurted, No, I need to leave home.
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  My gosh, where did that come from?
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  I asked myself.
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  In my parents world, kids weren't supposed to leave home, ever.
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  My parents already did that once, and were not inclined to let it
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  happen on their parental watch.
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  the world outside was just too big and scary, and I had been pretty sheltered.
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  My mother began to wail and sob.
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  I came close to giving in when suddenly she stopped.
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  I held my breath.
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  The End You were right.
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  You need to leave, but, she added suddenly in a stern voice, you can
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  only go to Moorhead State University.
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  Well, I knew that MSU was close to where my parents were born
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  and grew up, and no matter their tough upbringing, it was home.
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  Realizing I should take while the taking was good, I offered a hearty
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  head shake and declared that to be the perfect choice, as if I had any other.
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  She got the last word with, In a way, you will still be home.
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  So what does that story of a young girl determined to find her
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  own path but with limited social graces have to do with food?
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  Well, doesn't everything end up in a story about food?
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  Well, here's mine.
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  I was doing well and in the middle of my first semester at Moorhead when
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  I was invited to a luncheon with a handful of professors and classmates
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  at a local sit down restaurant to discuss scholarship opportunities.
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  I was nervous.
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  This was a big deal.
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  And these were the most important people who had ever invited me to anything.
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  However, I had never eaten at a sit down restaurant before.
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  My father would have declared such activity as unnecessary frivolity.
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  I carefully analyzed the situation.
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  Step 1.
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  The server delivered water and bread to the table.
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  Okay, so far.
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  Step 2.
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  Order from the menu.
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  I ordered a cheeseburger, a safe choice.
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  And with newfound confidence, I got this.
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  And then, a step three I never imagined.
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  Miss, she offered.
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  Would you like soup or salad as a side?
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  At least I thought I knew what she said.
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  I had only seconds.
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  I'll have that soup or salad, I proclaimed proudly.
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  The table grew silent as one dear soul leaned over to explain.
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  After that bout of embarrassment, I recovered and enjoyed my
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  college experience and did well.
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  Morehead State University, I later learned, specializes on growing
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  turnips that fall off trucks and somehow turning sow's ears into purses.
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  Today, my memories are with fondness and good humor.
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  Through the power of food, we tap into the most natural thing we all do.
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  Eat and realize that food lies at the heart of most of our stories.
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  Close your eyes.
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  Think back of your own food stories.
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  I promise they will lead to a myriad of memories.
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  Write them down, and better yet, share them with us.
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  Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely, co hosts of Family Tree Food and Stories.
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  We look forward to joining your family with ours as we unite around the memories
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  of food, recipes, kitchens, gatherings, laughter, mishaps, and yes, moments
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  of embarrassment, and ultimately, joy.