It was meant to be a simple evening out—just dinner, nothing fancy.
But for Margaret and Henry, a couple married nearly five decades, it felt more like stepping into another dimension.
They were seated by a cheerful host who gestured at the minimalist table and said, “Just scan the QR code for the menu. Let me know if you need anything!”
“QR what?” Henry muttered, already pulling out his bifocals. Margaret leaned in, squinting at the little square of dots and lines printed on a small acrylic stand. “It’s one of those digital things,” she whispered, as if afraid the table might overhear.
“I don’t want to scan anything,” Henry grumbled, waving his phone like it was an ancient relic from the time when people used phones to talk. “Can’t we just get a normal menu?”
But there were no menus. No paper. No pictures. No “today’s special” listed in lovely cursive. Just the glow of your own phone, illuminating options in tiny print.
After a few fumbles and sighs, Margaret managed to pull up the menu and read it aloud, acting as Henry’s reluctant translator in the strange land of kale reductions and truffle aioli. They eventually settled on two light entrées and a shared dessert, mostly for the novelty of it all.
When the meal was done, the young waiter returned with the bill, once again through the portal of their phones.
“Would you like to pay now?” the waiter asked politely.
Henry, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye—the same one that had gotten him out of many jams and into even more adventures—nodded solemnly. “Absolutely.”
He tapped his phone with a flourish and turned the screen toward the waiter.
Displayed proudly was an image of a crisp $100 bill.
“There,” Henry said with a sly smile. “And you can keep the change.”
A group of 40-year-old mates discussed where they should meet for dinner.
Finally, it was agreed upon that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the waitresses there had low cut blouses and were very young.
10 years later at 50 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. Finally, it was agreed that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the food there was very good and the wine selection was good also.
10 years later at 60 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. Finally, it was agreed that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because they could eat there in peace and quiet and the restaurant had a beautiful view of the ocean.
10 years later, at 70 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. Finally, it was agreed that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the restaurant was wheelchair accessible and they even had an elevator.
10 years later, at 80 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. Finally, it was agreed that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because they had never been there before.
