Dinner Bells

“I hear the dinner bell ringing”, is a statement that all of have used from time to time to signify that we are hungry and it is time to eat. But have you ever experienced the ringing of an actual dinner bell first hand? Much like my clothesline post, I think ringing dinner bells are also something my son may possibly never actually experience.

There were two places I recall a dinner bell growing up. One was at church camp. Whenever it was meal time, everyone came running to the mess hall. It was a sound of excitement and anticipation. “I wonder what we’re having today? I bet it sucks!”. We all scrambled for our seats eager to satisfy our hungry appetites.

The other place was at my cousin Rebecca’s house. On Sunday afternoon, after church services, we would take off on bikes through the woods, while my aunt prepared lunch. We usually had about 30 minutes to ride and she would always say, “listen for the bell?” I’m not sure how to describe the feeling, but there was something special about hearing that bell ring from a mile away. It was a lot like a lighthouse for lost ships. When it rang, you knew which direction home was and not only that, you also knew there was a warm meal and loving family waiting for you. All the way back you could smell green beans and begin to taste the roast beef in your mouth. The dinner bell signified the start of something special. A family meal.