How did it come about to tell inspiring stories of ordinary people while enjoying a meal together? The story itself may inspire.

Back in the 1980s, I hosted a radio show called, Limelight, at KUCI, the nonprofit station at the University of California, Irvine.  Since I was already an entertainment journalist, most of my guests were in the entertainment industry. Some were authors, musicians, dancers, orchestra conductors, journalists, theatre owners, etc., but all were connected in some way with the industry.

One person I was interviewing complimented me by saying he liked my show even better than Lunch at the Music Center, a radio show of similar ilk as mine, but of much greater importance and reach.

But that got me to thinking. When I tuned into Lunch at the Music Center, I could hear the buzz of the lunch place, the clink of dishes, and other restaurant sounds. It was obvious the host and the guest were enjoying a meal while they talked.

So I thought it might be fun to try to simulate that in print, except to expand to all kinds of people and industries, not just the entertainment area.

I wanted you to have lunch with me and my guest, see and taste the food with us,  to hear the rattle of dishes and feel the ambiance of the place where we were. I wanted it to be intimate.  

My friend, Pat, said, “I feel like I’m a napkin on the table, hearing everything.”

That is exactly what I am aiming for.

But Lunch with Marjorie is more than having lunch together. It’s not just about food and talk. Their stories are food for the soul and spirit as well.

Everyone has a story…everyone can inspire. That is the pith of the idea of having lunch together to tell stories. It doesn’t matter whether we are visiting with a chef, a musician, a mom, a teenager, an engineer, a policeman, or a missionary. I believe every person has been created and put here on this earth to make a difference. You don’t have to be famous or wealthy to make a difference. And, hopefully in telling these stories of inspiration from ordinary folks, you will agree.

So was born Lunch with Marjorie, when I convinced a publisher in Rockford, Illinois, to let me launch this idea.  That was about 2003, and my weekly column ran for ten years, until I moved to Connecticut.

My readers encouraged me that the stories of ordinary people who can inspire shouldn’t end. So I began re-posting their stories online.

Now with my WEB HUB at readmstradinger.com, I am including many of these past stories, and will begin with many new ones. I hope you enjoy them and will find humor, drama, pathos and inspiration in the stories of people, just like you and me, who have had experiences where their lives have changed, and who have something to say.