Scattered

Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered!

 - From Psalm 68

Waffle House is one of my favorites. The consistency, the coziness, the personal warmth. The closeness of the patrons and staff. You're continually within six feet of the others, most of whom are total strangers. The place itself makes the familiarity. You feel at home. The staff is genuinely hospitable. When you open the door to enter, they will all shout "Good morning!"

That's a good business model - one that brings people together so closely, so that random people feel totally at ease there, in a spirit of trust.

But I also like the absence of the non-regulars. You can learn a lot about a person, if the topic of Waffle House is brought up. If they get a twinkle in their eye, and share their favorite menu items, you have made a friend. But if they betray an attitude of haughtiness, steer clear. Keep that person as a friend, but only so that, over time, you can teach him or her how to enjoy all human experiences.

I always order my hash browns scattered, smothered, and covered. This means they will be tossed on the skillet, with chopped onions, and then covered with a layer of melted cheese. Very tasty. Prepared by the best short-order staff in the restaurant business.

Hash browns are typically served as a sort of patty, like you get from McDonald's. By scattering them, they end up spread out more, on your plate. It also creates more nooks and crannies for the cheese to ooze down into, or ketchup, or whatever other toppings you choose. It's a vague difference, but it's one of the little things that give variety to life.

In a normal season, the patrons of Waffle House, or most retail/restaurants, are not scattered, if the business is to survive. You want your business packed. Standing room only is nice. At Michigan Stadium, it's a point of pride that they always host the largest audience attending a football game, anywhere in America, on a home Saturday.

We love our crowds. We are social beings. It is our essence. It is what makes us human. When we work together, when we come together, when we get into proximity to each other, magic happens. Any problem can be solved by humans interacting closely.

Even the Coronavirus.

Divide and Conquer is a very simple, and effective military strategy. Drive a wedge between the enemy's offensive line. In football, open up a seam, to give your running back some room to maneuver. Create holes. Find a weak link.

The Battle of Gettysburg was won, because the weakest part of the Union line refused to be broken - the Minneapolis volunteers lost over 75% of their total number that weekend.

The Battle of the Bulge failed for the Germans, because their assault on the Allied center could bend, but not break it.

The Tower of Babylon failed, because cultural and language differences of the builders, were exploited until they could no longer agree on anything.

Our response to Coronavirus has been to scatter us. Granted, the intent of the authorities may not have been on the order of a military conquest. But it's never good when humans are artificially divided and separated. The solution to the problem is in us working together, considering all sides, fostering the creativity that comes from mutual respect and engagement.

When you hear that a crowd was "Scattered" it always means something bad. Bad, that is, for whatever the crowd could have accomplished, whether for good or ill. A crowd scatters because of fear, or hate, or the pressure of an overwhelming force.

People would rather be together. We would rather work together.

When opposition rises up, to your plan, it is time for a different plan. The creation of division is not a good thing.

Waffle House is a pleasant, simple diversion for me, and millions of others. In the worst of times, we need diversions more than ever.

In a Worst Time, the lack of diversions can only make it worse yet.