How to use a Potluck Spirit to Cultivate Social Connections
Potlucks make me uncomfortable. This is crazy considering how much I enjoy hosting (and attending) food-centric events. I do not think that it is due to a ‘letting-go-of-control’ issue for me. Nor is it a ‘concern-about-cleanliness’ issue. My concern is for the people on my guest list. It’s an ‘I-don’t-want-to-impose-on-other-people’ issue.
Typical reactions like, “What do I bring?” “I am pretty busy that week, do I need to bake something?” or “I don’t want to bring something someone else is bringing, can you tell me what everyone is bringing?” make me wonder if my invitation is an imposition. I can hear the stress in their voices. When I host a gathering, I want the event to be a gift, not a burden.
To test if I was alone in my discomfort, I googled, “Why do potluck dinners make me uncomfortable?” and a whopping 2,150,000 results came back in less than a second! Obviously, I have some company.
However, because potluck dinners are a natural and easy way to bring people together, build community, and improve our social health, it is time for me to conquer my discomfort. Will you join me in learning a bit more about the potluck…
