Gathering
Until recently, such rituals were common at many coffee shops, churches and restaurants. But the coronavirus outbreak — and the safer-at-home orders this week from Mayor Jim Strickland, County Mayor Lee Harris and suburban mayors — has upended such groups, leaving them scrambling to find ways to stay connected.
Some, like the men at the “truth table” at Stein’s, are trying to replicate some semblance of the camaraderie created by rituals of food and fellowship, by staying connected through phone calls.
“We really miss that (fellowship),” Draper said.
Others, like citycurrent CEO Jeremy Park, are using virtual technologies, including video conferencing, to stay in touch. The organization, which operates in Memphis and Nashville, hosts meetings and networking events to connect business people and philanthropic groups.
One of the citycurrent events — a series of weekly executive lunches at Napa Cafe in East Memphis — brings together eight to 10 people from churches, nonprofits and businesses, Park said.
Now, Park is looking to keep that fellowship going through Zoom video conferencing — although they won’t be able to do that over servings of the cafe’s seared tuna salad and fresh tomato dishes at the restaurant’s tables.
“We had our lunches there with people from every walk of life,” Parks said.
“People who would never connect, this is a chance for them to get together.
“So, we have to do something virtual, because people still need to connect.”
Lori Spicer Robertson, chief communications and engagement officer for United Way of the Mid-south, said her moms’ group, Wundher, meets as a supper club once every three months.
“If there’s a new restaurant, we’ll try it out and go there to connect,” she said.
But, now that the restaurants are closed for dining in, Robertson said that she’s working on trying to keep the meeting going virtually.
“So many people are asking what are we going to do, so we’ve been talking about what it may look like virtually,” Robertson said. “That’s my homework assignment this week, to see what this looks like.”
Nonetheless, Robertson said, being unable to share a meal in person has its drawbacks.
“I’m an extrovert, and I get my energy from being around people,” she said.
Another person struggling to recreate a communal space is the Rev. Peter Brown, pastor of Mount Lebanon Baptist Church.
Unlike larger churches with livestreaming and larger technological capacities, Brown is trying to keep the 125 or so congregants of his South Memphis church connected by doing videos of his sermons and Bible studies, and distributing them to members.
“Last Sunday was the first time we didn’t have church,” said Brown, who is also a regular at Steins. “So I bought a camcorder.
“Still, it’s not the same . ... You don’t have that live audience, and the members don’t have the reinforcement they would get from a live audience.”
Still, being able to use technology is a gift for people like Parks and Robertson, and to an extent, Brown, because they can come close to replicating that communal experience. Zoom or other forms of video conferencing at least allows people who would normally meet in person to see each other’s faces — even if they aren’t sharing a table.
But all people like Draper and other Stein’s regulars can do for now is take joy in hearing each other’s voices over the phone — and hope that the threat of novel coronavirus eases soon — so that they can get back to the business of being in each other’s presence.
“It’s disrupted our daily routine, that’s for sure,” said Fred Jones, founder of the Southern Heritage Classic and the unofficial “mayor” of the “truth table.”
“Us being there, having lunch, the camaraderie and being able to support a black-owned business, that’s all gone for now,” said Jones.
Tonyaa Weathersbee can reached at tonyaa.weathersbee@commercialappeal.com or you can follow her on Twitter at @tonyaajw.