The Story of The Picnic by the late Bob Benson

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines

the meaning of "share."

 

to Share: to participate in, to use, or

experience in common; to have or

take a part.

 

All of a sudden it dawned on me that God was saying to me,

"Why don't you take what you have and what you are-your being-

and I will take what I have and what I am-my being-

and we will share-

we will participate in, we will use,

we will experience together in common.

 

Do you remember when they had old fashioned Sunday School picnic?

(I don't:)

 

It was before air-conditioning.

They said, "We'll meet a Sycamore Lodge in Shelby Park at 4:30 Saturday.

 

You bring your supper and we'll furnish the tea."

 

But you came home at the last minute

and when you got ready to pack your lunch,

all you could find in the refrigerator

was one dried up piece of baloney

and just enough mustard in the bottom of the jar

so that you got it all over your knuckles trying to get it out.

 

And there were two stale pieces of bread.

 

So you made your baloney sandwich

and wrapped it in some brown bag

and went to the picnic.

 

 

And when it came time to eat

you sat at the end of a table and spread out your sandwich.

 

But the folks next to you-the lady was a good cook

and she had worked all day

and she had fried chicken, and baked beans,

and potato salad, and homemade rolls, and sliced tomatoes,

and pickles, and olives, and celery,

and topped it off

with two big homemade chocolate pies.

(Sounds like my mama!)

 

And they spread it all out beside you

 

 

and there you were with your baloney sandwich.

 

But they said to you,

"Why don't we put it all together?"

 

"No, I couldn't do that, I just couldn't even think about it."

you murmured embarrassingly.

 

"Oh, come on, there's plenty of chicken

and plenty of pie

and plenty of everything-

 

and we just love baloney sandwiches.

Let's put it all together."

 

And so you did

and there you sat-

eating like a king

when you came like a pauper.

 

--Bob Benson

"Come Share The Being"

 

I wish I had written it!