Eating Out
A little old couple
walked slowly into McDonald's that cold winter evening.
They looked out of place amid the young families and young couples eating there
that night. Some of the customers looked admiringly at them.
You could tell what the admirers were thinking: "Look, there is a couple who has
been through a lot together, probably for 60 years or more!"
The little old man walked right up to the cash register, placed his order with
no hesitation and then paid for their meal. The couple took a table near the
back wall and started taking food off of the tray. There was one hamburger, one
order of french fries and one drink.
The little old man unwrapped the plain hamburger and carefully cut it in half.
He placed one half in front of his wife. Then he carefully counted out the
french fries, divided them in two piles and neatly placed one pile in front of
his wife. He took a sip of the drink, his wife took a sip and then set the cup
down between them.
As the man began to eat his few bites of hamburger, the crowd began to get
restless. Again you could tell what they were thinking: "That poor old couple.
All they can afford is one meal for the two of them." As the man began to eat
his french fries one young man stood and came over to the old couple's table.
He politely offered to buy another meal for the old couple to eat. The old man
replied that they were just fine. They were used to sharing everything.
Then the crowd noticed that the little old lady hadn't eaten a bite. She just
sat there watching her husband eat and occasionally taking turns sipping the
drink. Again the young man came over and begged them to let him buy them
something to eat. The man again explained that no, they were used to sharing
everything together.
As the little old man finished eating and was wiping his face neatly with a
napkin, the young man could stand it no longer. Again he came over to their
table and offered to buy some food. After being politely refused again, he
finally asked a question of the little old lady: "Ma'am, why aren't you eating?
You said that you share everything. What is it that you are waiting for?"
She answered, "The teeth."