D6 | APRIL 14, 2021
GENERATIONS
Breaking Bread: In search of common ground BY JOHN KELLEN
myself, love to cook and I believe it’s always been a useful skill set no matter the motivation. Consider also “Anybody n a world that seems more divisive who believes that the way to a man’s every day, wouldn’t it be nice to find heart is through his stomach flunked ways to work through our differencgeography” was written by Robert Byrne es? I realize that is a tall order or maybe in 1988. All this is to bring back the even unrealistic, but I feel compelled to point that food connects each and every make an attempt. Perhaps if people of one of us and even though it wasn’t different stripes would make a point of sharing meals together on a regular basis Confucius who coined the phrase, Confucianism emphasized personal and govthose experiences might lead to better ernmental morality, correctness of social understanding. A global pandemic has relationships, justice, kindness and made this premise untenable over the sincerity; all noble aspirations especially past year, until now. With the advances now given current societal trends. in administering Thinking of my vaccinations across own experiences the country there is and fond memories hope for a return to of sharing meals some sense of norwith my family and malcy however you friends, I suspect may define normal. most people can The concept think back to times of breaking bread where they looked together has biblical forward to their ties yet has origins mother’s or grandback to the beginmother’s home ning of time, a time cooking. Although when bread was the menus may be much harder than varied around the current variations. Photo courtesy of John Kellen world, the shared Most, if not all, Pictured with me is recent Syrian experiences are cultures and various Immigrant Sultana Lama’s daughter very similar, in fact who made a cake specially for me. religions have some I would argue, the This experience was powerful given form of stories feeling is univerthis family had recently escaped related to sharing sal. Bread in all its war-torn Syria with nothing, yet still food not only with forms is symbolwanted to extend their hospitality to families and tribes, me whom they had only recently met. ic of something but with strangers much larger than and those who are just nutrition and in need or less forwhether it’s Wonder bread, a baguette, tunate. a tortilla, lefse or garlic naan the tearing Curious where the sayings I’ve used and sharing go hand in hand. originated, I found that when I used Wheat (which is one of the main the idiom “Confucius say: Fastest way ingredients of most bread) has only been to man’s heart is through his stomach” a food source for the past ten thousand was not actually attributed to this wise years and the human digestive system man. Rather, John Adams the Amerwasn’t designed to process this easily ican statesman wrote in a letter “The cultivated and stored food source. Glushortest road to men’s hearts is down ten and the resultant inflammation in their throats” and some years later Rich- our bodies has been wreaking havoc on ard Ford’s ‘A Handbook for Travelers our immune systems ever since. While in Spain’ advised “The way to many an I digress from the main theme of this honest heart lies through the belly.” article, and be it known that I love most While this is often historically associated all breads and grains, food allergies and with how women attract men, it’s not subsequent maladies I’ve learned about always the case. Many men including compel me to make a full disclosure.
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Willmar
Photo courtesy of John Kellen
Pastor Tim Larson, clockwise from left, John Kellen, Earl Habben, Gene Johnson and Don Kellen would meet for breakfast every Tuesday morning to discuss and solve the world’s problems. I happened to be home for the holidays and always love to listen to their banter and of course enjoy one of Steve and Amy Rodelius’ delicious pancakes.
Photo courtesy of John Kellen
Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix is a premier international business school in Phoenix, Arizona. Originally based on a World War II Army Air Corp flight training school Thunderbird launched one of the first international trade schools in the US and has Alumni working around the world in nearly every country. Pictured here are the Tucson Chapter Alumni Association gathering for a “First Tuesday” networking event which happens each month in cities around the globe. This photo happens to be my last event as President of the chapter prior to leaving for Minnesota to care for my elderly parents.
