Talking at the French Table with Your Mouth Full- Part II
Champêtre- Conversations at my Table
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“Can We Talk?”
A good French friend pulled me aside in the kitchen where we had all gathered and whispered, “Can we talk at the table? Politics?” I was somewhat startled because this had never come up before—at least aloud—but I shook my head slightly and said, “I don’t think so….”
What was jammed into those four words was, “I don’t really know these two new guests, parents of friends, and even my French friend was aware they were not the usual set of friends and guests, but outliers and so perhaps needed to be treated more gently than our usual rousing conversations about social situations, politics, and who knows what else. After all, we all know each other pretty well and make allowances for differing opinions, but a guest is an honored guest, and we should consider them immune to our wildest arguments!
It's not usually a worry here at Camont—people always come with differing political views, and the French love to talk politics and diplomacy. Still, the focus of our conversations is generally on the weather, the food, the neighbors, the food again, and then maybe world affairs before more food if lunch is long and we linger at the abundant table.