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December 02, 2024

The Waffle House Index

By Betsy Mars

The Federal Emergency Management Agency even monitors a "Waffle House Index," a color-coded indicator of what restaurants are open, closed or offering a limited menu, to gauge how well an area will recover from a hurricane, tornado or other hazard.
-- USA Today 9/13/18

The Waffle House Index

In the wake of the storm,
there's a home away from home
with bottomless pitchers of sweet tea.
And we sit here on Christmas morning,
discussing the geographic prevalence
of waffles vs. pancakes,
when someone mentions the Index.
We are dysfunctional but open for business.

Passing waffles, wounds, pats of butter,
intergenerational hurts, rashers
of bacon, cups of coffee,
we argue about the veracity of the story,
the reliability of the storyteller,
the relevance of the study,
while resentments brew
and holes fill with pure Vermont maple syrup.



Article © Betsy Mars. All rights reserved.
Published on 2020-01-20
Image(s) are public domain.
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