REMEMBERING WHEN: The Night Out

By Keith Schell

Late one summer afternoon in the early 2000s, a buddy called me up and said, “Keith, let’s go out for dinner tonight! My treat!”

We went out for dinner at least once a month to shoot the breeze, solve the world’s problems, and would usually split the check at the end of the night. We hadn’t gone out in a while and were due for a night out.

Not being one to turn down a free meal, I happily accepted the invitation. Since dining out can be expensive and he was treating, I wondered where he wanted to go.

Usually, if we went out for a bite during the week, it would be on one of my days off because of the odd shifts I worked. I would usually end up driving since my buddy drove all day for work and liked to relax at dinner with a couple of beers. I didn’t drink, so I didn’t mind. I usually became the designated driver when we went out—no problem.

But that night, he actually came over to my place and picked me up instead!

"Wow," I thought. "He’s putting on the Ritz for us tonight! I wonder where we’re going."

As I got in the car, I asked him where we were headed, and he just smiled and said, “You’ll see. It’s a surprise.”

After a short drive, we finally pulled into the parking lot of the intended eatery, and I saw where we were:

He had taken me to five-dollar spaghetti night at the local Legion!

Hey, a meal is a meal, but this was not the dinner I had expected! I actually hadn’t been to a Legion in ages. Back home, the only times I ever went were for wedding or funeral receptions or celebrations like birthdays and anniversaries. My buddy showed his membership card at the door and brought me in as his guest.

We entered the neatly organized hall, found a place to sit, and waited for the meal to be served. The Legion Ladies’ Auxiliary had a spaghetti "assembly line" set up that night, so when everything was ready, we just hopped in line and got served.

We ate, shot the breeze as we always did, and chatted with some of the Legion members sitting nearby.

When cleanup time came, a nice elderly Auxiliary lady with a cart rolled around to bus the plates. No doubt she was a grandmother because when I handed her my plate and utensils, she noticed my empty plate and said to me with an approving smile—the way grandmothers all over the world do—“You really clean your plate!”

Sigh. Thanks, Grandma!

We stayed for a bit after the meal, chatting and socializing with each other and some of the branch members, then quietly made our exit a little while later.

So, I guess the moral of the story is this: the most expensive nights out aren’t always the most fun nights out. Some of the funniest experiences are the ones you least expect, but if you keep your sense of humour about you, any experience you have can become a truly memorable one—even one on the cheap!

Always try to look for the good in a situation, and you’ll usually find it.

I still smile when I think about that night. A good time was had by all.

And support your local Legion!