Before Georgia Tech football games, The Varsity in Atlanta was always (and probably still is) packed with hungry folks eager to sample the chili dogs, slaw dogs, red dogs, yellow dogs, steaks, chili steaks, rings, fries, PC’s, FO’s and other delicacies that the world’s largest hot dog stand had to offer. This isn’t a place for Vegans and Vegetarians! The long line of men (ladies and family groups had their own lines) standing before the assembly line of hot dogs were practically harassed by the counter attendants:
“What’ll ya have, what’ll ya have?”
“Have your money in your hand and your order on you mind so we can get you to the game on time.”
Any hesitation in ordering was likely met by something like “You ain’t hungry! Who’s next?”
For first timers the pressure to order was great when combined with the lingo unique to this establishment:
PC – plain chocolate – milk that is, in a half pint carton with a cup of that wonderful shaved ice. Want large? That’s double PC.
FO – frosted orange – think orange slurpy.
Want it to go? It’s a walkin’ dog.
Want a dog with mustard, to go? Make it a yellow dog walkin!
This is the kind of “dining experience” that has provided sustenance for many football fans and Georgia Tech students through the years.
In the Christian calendar, Lent is the 40 days prior to Easter when abstinence, fasting, or some other form of self-denial may be undertaken as a means of spiritual sustenance. Many use this time to add a discipline such as reading or meditation for the same purposes. In the Jewish calendar, the month of Elul precedes the high holy days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and is a time of spiritual preparation and renewal with similar disciplines.
As Unitarian Universalists, we are not told what our spiritual disciplines we must follow. Instead, we have the freedom and responsibility to draw from many sources for our sustenance. In the same way, we can choose to eat at the Varsity, Mary Mac’s Tea Room, The Colonnade, or a variety of places to satisfy our hunger.
What sources do you choose for your own spiritual sustenance? What satisfies your hunger?
Bob Watson
