It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…. (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities)I recently attended a large family event. Seating arrangements are always difficult but for some unknown reason, the hostess banished two of our family members to tables where they knew nary a soul, while...