Multi tasking at meal time

Halep powers on.... I  took up the sports page to read while I was having my lunch alone and late. Two reasons for me to gulp down food and which habit I am consciously trying to avoid for a change. However the reading didn't make sense nor did I stop wolfing  down the rice.
And then I remembered Achachan who always grabbed a book while having his meal. That gave him a reason not to look at us two pesky lil things sitting in front of him and picking at food. He was our paternal uncle but just older enough to be a big brother.
The train of thought then shifted to my dad who neatly bowled a ball of rice into his mouth while watching tv. The advent of the tv into our home, though late, gave him an excuse to have his meal in silence _ except for the animated voices of the news anchors.
The scene at home here is not much better. Every night the head of the family watches comedy time after comedy time to relax. One kid sits in a strategic position that aids munching while watching. The other one turns her head to catch the scenes. As the lone  one who is disinterested in this daily tickling of the bone, I try telling them that dinner time is family time (enlightened by a whatsapp forwarded message). But there are no takers for my dictum as my face is less interesting than the ones on tv and, secondly, what do I talk anyway?
So I join the crowd and watch  the reflection of the tv screen in the glass cabinet across .😝