A Peak Midwest Moment

My wife and I experienced a Peak Midwest moment today. We were eating lunch and next to us was a table of about 10 men, all of whom were in their 60s and 70s. And as they were all leaving, one of them walked over to another and said, in all earnestness, “Well, good luck with the cancer.”

Once we got back to our car, we immediately started laughing about that interaction. As born-and-raised Nebraskans, it felt like a perfect summation of the classic Midwest demeanor. That is, nonplussed, casual, stoic, reserved, etc., but underneath it all, real and honest care and affection. It’s probably not a Midwest-only thing, but it felt distinctly Midwestern to us.

On a more serious note, though, it was clear from their conversation that these guys get together every week for lunch at that particular restaurant. We should all be so lucky as to have a lunch bunch with whom we meet on a regular basis when we’re in our 60s and 70s. There’s a lot of discussion about the male loneliness epidemic these days, and I think those retired fellas at the restaurant have found a solution to it.