Tamada

A Tamada is the toastmaster. A Tamada focuses attention to a single topic of significance, to a mentality of seriousness, to a feeling of deep conviction, to sincere gratitude for what has been given and what has been received. Imagine so many intoxicated revelers, suddenly brought to quietude by a gentle gesture of command from the Tamada. A feeling of respect for the Supra tradition by most Georgians allows for quick attention to a Tamada's proposed toast.
With such intense attention, the Tamada must speak truthfully, succinctly, and from the heart. Words spoken must be concrete, tangible ideas that speak to the guests of the Supra. With modesty and humility, with foresight and a sense for the depth of life, a Tamada must tailor his toasts to his Table. He must pay attention to Tradition and to the knowledge of the ancestors.
This evening I was Tamada, for a group of four friends, all Americans.

Our toasts spoke about Our Meeting and Guests; to Georgia and its gifts to us;
to our Work and Inspiration and to the hopes of young Georgians in rebuilding their country;
Friendships near and far, new and old;
to the Departed, our love for them and their love for us;
to our Future, through political group, community, and individual, may we meld the three and be Conscious in directing our Futures;
to Art, may it inform our lives, may we trust our hearts, and allow art to infuse our lives with hope;
to Protection, to the traditional symbol of the Mother of God, to harboring safe our deep values, and to protecting that which is valuable in the world from an age of expansionism and information over-stimulus.

Georgians speak about these themes with poetic candor. They live with a daily knowledge of what is meaningful while acknowledging what is still challenging. To speak frankly and sincerely on these topics, I gradually grow stronger in my knowledge of myself and of what matters in our thinking, our decision making, and inspiration. I am honored to lead our attention and thinking on these topics.