Lunch Stories

I have fallen into the habit of reading my social media streams over lunch. In some ways, it is a good habit. I catch up with distant friends and see what's happening in the world. In other ways, though, it is a bad habit. All too often, "what's happening" is nothing good, and I end my lunch break feeling more stressed than I was at the start.

A few months ago, I had an idea. One day a week, instead of reading my social media, I read a short story or essay over lunch. The short length means that I can finish the story on my lunch break. If I try to read a novel at lunch, I sometimes have a hard time ending my lunch break when I should.

I usually read my lunch story on Thursdays. I've had to delay to Friday a couple of times and I've missed a couple weeks altogether due to other commitments, but I like this new habit. I look forward to my Thursday lunch story. I decided to try to share this habit with others. I tweet out my #LunchStory as I sit down to eat and read. Here was the most recent one:

Today's #LunchStory is steampunkish fantasy by @pdjeliclark set in Cairo AND a mystery. Am loving it! pic.twitter.com/95ZiucDI8c

— Tungsten Hippo (@TungstenHippo) June 2, 2016

As is the nature of social media, the hashtag is not solely mine. If you search the #lunchstory hashtag, you'll find me and a bunch of mostly Asian people sharing out pictures of their delicious looking lunches. I like that. Both uses celebrate lunch time as a true break. Maybe on the days I have an interesting lunch to go with my short story, I'll take a picture of both.

In the meantime, consider joining in—with either meaning of the hashtag!