Recently I was watching Castle, which is one of my favorite shows, and they talked about your “LSL” or Last Supper List. As in, the people you would want there at your very last supper. You’re allowed twelve spots (just like the original Last Supper), and it can be anyone living or dead.
I thought about who I’d want on mine. The obvious first choice? Jesus. Who wouldn’t want to sit down with Jesus and break bread? But for the purposes of this exercise, I’ll go with twelve other people. I assume Jesus will be there in spirit, and besides, if he were there in person no one would want to talk with anyone else. We’d have too many questions for our savior.
Okay, so… the list. I created mine and then immediately thought there were other people I was probably missing. But I guess you can’t over-think this. You have to go with what comes to mind. Here’s mine (in no particular order):
Maya Angelou. For obvious reasons. She rocks. She’s part of the reason I love poetry so much. In fact, having poetry read to me by her is one of my top, crazy wants for life.
Mary Oliver. Well, you knew that was coming next, right? I’ve already told you that Mary Oliver is the coolest ever, so why wouldn’t she be on my list.
Bret Michaels. What kind of dinner would it be without a rocker to shake things up? Besides that, I do have a secret crazy desire to write a song with Bret Michaels. Maybe I could pitch a few poems his way while we ate dinner.
Mister Rogers. When I was a kid, I loved the fact that he looked right into the TV and told us we were special. Just as we were. I was hearing just the opposite in real life, so when I turned on that TV I just wanted to fade away into those positive words and calming, safe, environment.
Chuck Cecil. My all-time favorite Packer. He played from ’88-’92, and was known for his aggressive, hard-hitting game. When I left one of my early jobs, my buddy Sharon got me a Chuck Cecil football card that I hang up on the Packer tree every year.
Anne Boleyn. I had to hold myself back from filling this entire list with people from the Tudor court. Henry VIII? Elizabeth I? Too obvious. Wouldn’t you want to find out from Anne Boleyn what was true and just myth?
Ben Franklin. I debated about putting Thomas Jefferson on this list, because I really wanted one of the founding fathers, but I figured he might be too introverted. Ben Franklin, on the other hand, would make sure the dinner party was a party. Plus, he could give us all the 411 on the revolution.
Mary Cassatt. American home-girl but part of the Impressionist movement also? She’s there. She could give us some scoop on what Degas was really like, and I can ask her about my favorite painting, Young Mother Sewing.
King David. One reason I love the Psalms so much is that it really gives us a unique glimpse into the life of David. He was a warrior, a king, clearly one of God’s favorite people, but that was all the outside things we knew. Then, we’re blessed with the Psalms, what his fears were, his laments, his joy. I love that we have this complete picture of this man because of this.
Bobby Sherman. My childhood crush, and someone that seemed like a genuinely nice person. I’d like to find out what it was like to be a teen heartthrob, to build a replica of Disney’s Main Street, and also to move on from that life and become an EMT.
Martin Luther King. Wouldn’t it be great to have him say the prayer for the meal? For him to talk about what he thinks of society today? Of his dreams? I so admire this man and what he did to change our society for the better.
Elinor Lipman. Well of course we need another writer for the list! Who better than one who writes charming, quirky characters? Her smile alone would encourage great conversation.
