I love eating.
Two bowls of ice cream for lunch…sign me up.
A crispy layer of fat on a pork roast for dinner…table for one please.
An entire box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese just because…don’t mind if I do.
But there is more to it than spurts of gluttony. It’s not just food but the whole experience of eating a meal that I love. For me, the emotional component to eating is a powerful thing.
So when you add good company and conversation to the mix I’m the happiest boy in town. And that is what happened the other night at the Cathal Brugha Barracks in Rathmines. Thanks to our classmate, Captain Ken Barry, the Fulltime UCD Smurfit MBAs and I had the privilege of dining in the Officers’ Mess on the army base.
Don’t get me wrong here, the gravied lamb shank with buttery mashed potatoes was delicious but what really filled me up was the chance to relax and chat with my classmates over a good meal outside of school.
We’ve been on our UCD Smurfit MBA journey for over a month now and everyone needed a chance to refuel. It’s easy to lose sight of what really matters during this experience. When you get too wrapped up in assignments you can forget that when the modules are done the real leftovers you take with you are the people and friendships you find along the way.
The friendships are side dishes that come with your MBA entrée. You didn’t order them when you came in but your meal wouldn’t be complete without them.
Tony Downs,
FT MBA 2014.