Lasagna Dinner and Bumps

Before I ever came on the scene, the Library hosted a Lasagna dinner for their student workers. Sometimes they held it in a staff person's home, sometimes in a local church. All the Library workers baked lasagna or prepared some part of the meal, and students gladly came. It was a time of fellowship and making those important family connections.

Last year, what with the confusion of the move into the new facility, and general misunderstanding about our contract with food services concerning whether we could serve homecooked food or not, we didn't have a lasagna dinner. I, of course, did not miss it at all. But staff sure did. The topic came up repeatedly in all sorts of connections.

I had not realized that it was an embedded tradition of significance not to be lightly ignored. So I broached the idea of having one this year and was met with support. Feeling good about restoring an important piece of tradition, I circulated a sign up list at a staff meeting, also asking for ideas about other things to include that I might have been unaware of.

No one signed up. They thought I was just asking for planning input. But not to worry. I could post the sign up sheet on the break room fridge. Or at least, I should have. By the time I remembered, we were only ten days from the event date. I had polled the students for availability, and Monday night was the time slot of choice. But we had to do a come-and-go set up because not everyone was available at the same time. No sit down dinner, this!

Then of course, I got called out of town unexpectedly and couldn't follow through as I needed to. Things wobbled from bad to worse, and by the time I returned, staff were in an uproar. This was not the lasagna dinner they remembered fondly. Not even close. I fielded tight lipped comments and flaming emails. Well, shoot. Even the best of intentions go awry. Besides, I am far from a consummate hostess.

Fortunately, the dinner went well despite the bumps. And also fortunately, not all the students came! We had just the right amount of food and mouths to feed, and the students who did come enjoyed the home cooked meal.

Afterwards, the clean up included much more than plates and silverware. We unpacked what happened at a staff meeting. I had much to learn, and they had some adjustments to make as well. After all, fifty is much more than three.

Next year, we will try again. If I am lucky, I will have learned enough from this event to do a much better job of it. Ah, me. Live and learn. Its hard to get an accurate picture from goosebumps and a warm glow in someone else's heart.