Ever have that thought first thing in the morning when you look in the mirror?  “I’m a mash-up”. Probably not. Perhaps something more along the lines of “I need a haircut”? Maybe our lives would be altered for the better if we changed the first cogent thought we have in the morning into something that makes us more aware of the fact that we are formed by what we let into our lives. That way, we could make better choices about what we filter out, what we take in, and how we manage the fact that we’re both surrounded by troubling stories (and it won’t do to treat them as if they don’t exist), but also neuroligically evolved for optimism. When we look at it that way, it’s not that hard to see that some dissonance might result. What to do?  That’s the terrain I’ll be exploring in the Talky Bit this week.

We’ll be meeting online this week (hardly newsworthy, perhaps), but we also have the first date for an “in-person” gathering for 2022 to let you know about!  We’ll be meeting at Justin’s place on March 20th! Whoop! Mark that date! Our last in-person gathering was just before Christmas. I don’t know about you, but to me that already feels like it was ages ago. I’m excited about seeing faces and hearing voices without having them flattened by the screen. We’re still working on the details of actual dates beyond that, but aiming in the short-term at the rhythm of “one on / one off”, alternating between in-person and online, at least until we can be outside more often in the summer. And we’re also making some progress on securing a venue starting after the Labour Day weekend so we can move back into more regular gatherings in a public space. We’ll keep you posted about all of that. Also, I know this move back into in-person won’t be obvious or seamless for everyone, and want to state again our commitment to continuing to livestream for those that are not able or who choose not to attend in person.

On a very practical note – donation receipts for this past year have now been mailed out. If you supported The Table financially this past year, you should have your receipt by now. If you don’t, or if there are any discrepancies between your records and that document, let me know and I’ll put you in touch with Justin to sort out the details.

A very big “THANK YOU!” to everyone that has continued to make the existence of The Table possible for another year. On this level, the equation is very simple. No donors = no Table. What we get to do together is made possible by the participation of many people in many ways. Money isn’t the whole story, but it’s a pragmatically important one. I’m confident that I speak on behalf of many of us when I express my personal conviction that when we gather to explore what we believe at The Table, in a space where it’s safe to do so, we are experiencing something relatively rare and precious. Thank you to each person that helps make that available to anyone that wants to be a part of it.

On a related matter, watch this space for details about our AGM, which seems like it will involve both pie charts and lots of actual pies, in the faces of actual people, as we practice our own curious ritual for celebrating generosity and teaching our kids that sometimes, on very rare and wonderful occasions, it’s o.k. to mash a pie into the face of an adult. (I’m just glad I don’t have to try to explain the nuances of this to my kids). No boring meetings, please. 

The Details:

This week, we’ll meet online