Some time ago at a buffet lunch in a church hall - not quite a fine dining event - I recall a lively conversation between an unemployed man in early middle age and an older, wealthy industrialist. The younger man commented that unemployment was hard work. He complained that everyone imagined it was like being on holiday. But he worried constantly about money and providing for his family while applying for lots of jobs - over 200, he said. It was exhausting, more draining than when he had a job. For his part the older man acknowledged he wasn't anxious about paying his personal bills. But he did worry about the business decisions he made. It was a burden knowing that hundreds of families depended for their livelihood on his company's continued success. That was draining too. As a largely silent third party to their conversation, I could see the impact of their exchange of views. They truly met each other.Perhaps it's no surprise that the conversation between those two men, one unemployed and the other with a large business, took place at a community meal where there was an open table. Our communities may need many more common tables where some of the barriers created by wealth, class and power can be broken down. We don't need to do less eating together, but more.