The key to fixing the future, any future, is easier than any of us think. We all know it, we all do, but when things get tough it’s hard to remember to do. We teach this fix to our children and it is valued by just about every society and religion. This fix is “sharing”.
When you ask kids about sharing, they will echo back at you “sharing is caring”. Caring for ourselves and others is the key to finding the right resolution to a difficulty or disagreement. Sharing allows us the space for being heard and for listening to others. Listening is an undervalued skill and its absence is as at the root of most disagreements. Not listening and not sharing was at the very center of recent international incident. Hopefully, sharing will help us get past that awful moment.
Since we all to some level value sharing, how can we foster more sharing in our lives? The answer I have come to is that tater tots are a great place to start. Small, golden brown, warm and tasty tots are a food most people can eat. They are most often totally vegan. They are loved by meat and potatoes people. They, for the most part, are gluten free. They are also gosh darn tasty. They are small treats that are plentiful. When a friend drops by, we are likely offer them a tot, if we have tots.
When I play Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) I try very hard not to be a murder hobo (a migratory adventurer who goes cave to cave killing everyone and looting the treasure without regard to laws or morality). I found my party in a tavern, and was jumping around talking to patrons. Somehow I encounter someone who isn’t living their best life (and NPC), but a few minutes of improvised conversation and an order of tater tots and life was feeling better for both of us. I liked this idea of going tavern to tavern and having an adventure support group that gather to talk about life’s pain and share tots. It became a thing for our game.
Flash forward to us needing to invade a Goblin village (they my have been Ogres). I introduced an idea. What if we offered the Goblin/Ogres the “Tater Tots of Sharing”? These golden, crispy orbs radiate warmth and an irresistibly tantalizing aroma of seasoned potatoes. The Tater Tots of Sharing are a magical delicacy designed to foster camaraderie and cooperation among those who partake in their consumption. (see full description on dndbeyond). Our Dungeon Master allowed the tots as a magic item and the party rallied around them. Our Dragonborn Bard played the bag pipes, our fighter played the drum, and I offered the tots on a pillow. We were able to treat with the Goblin/Ogres without having to kill each other. We were able to achieve our mission. And we had more fun than if we had hacked and slashed our way through a village.
This may seem like an unconventional approach. While it was unique, it’s not necessarily an original thought Note that when I started to type “Did cavemen share…” autofill already had share “tater tots” as search. Others know of the sharing power of tater tots and there deep history.
Let me know your thoughts on tots and sharing. If we disagree, I promise to sit down with you and to share some tots.