The phrase "riding the meal train" can have multiple interpretations depending on the context. Here are a few possibilities:
1. Receiving Meals:
- Literal Meaning: This refers to someone being on the receiving end of a meal train, where friends, family, or neighbors prepare and deliver home-cooked meals over a period of time. This often happens after someone experiences a challenging situation like illness, surgery, childbirth, or loss of a loved one.
- Figurative Meaning: This could metaphorically represent receiving ongoing support and care from different people, who each contribute in their own way.
2. Participating in a Meal Train:
- Literally Helping: This means actively participating in organizing or delivering meals for someone on a meal train. This involves things like coordinating schedules, cooking or picking up food, and dropping it off at the recipient's home.
- Metaphorically Contributing: This could represent contributing to someone's well-being in any way, not limited to physical support. It could involve emotional support, advice, or simply offering a listening ear.
3. Utilizing a Meal Delivery Service:
- Specific Services: There are meal delivery services and subscription boxes that use the name "Meal Train" or similar names. Riding the meal train in this context would literally mean ordering and receiving pre-prepared meals from such a service.
To understand the intended meaning accurately, consider the context in which you encountered the phrase. Here are some additional details that might help:
- Was it mentioned in conversation about someone facing a difficult situation?
- Was it related to organizing or delivering meals?
- Were there any specific mentions of meal delivery services?
If you can provide more context, I might be able to provide a more specific interpretation.