February 20, 2011

Sunday Scribblings: Food

I saw a documentary following a little boy in Cambodia. With a small bucket, he searched all day to find ants for dinner.  Ants.  His mother wanted to add them to the rice for protein.  Their only meal of the day was in the evening when his father arrived home from working the fields.  They each had one bowl of watered down rice with ants.

As I sat there staring at the television, my western eyes fell off and I saw further into the world.  I saw a family like mine struggling with more than "What movie should we see?" or "What school shoes should we buy?".  Their livelihood hung on all of them.  And I imagined what it must be like to work in fields for the entire day without food until nighttime.  Or to scavenge for ants for dinner.  Or to barter for the only meal we would have.

Those thoughts still rattle me.  My greedy indulgence haunts me.  I eat for more than survival.  I eat for comfort, celebration, and entertainment.  It's considered normal here.  But I can't help feeling guilty when I overindulge myself.  I want to lose weight, so wouldn't eating less food help that and give me more funds for helping the less fortunate?

I want to identify with my brothers and sisters in distant lands; I want to understand hunger.  This year is my quest to find it.

10 comments :

  1. Show a picture of hunger to a child and they feel instant empathy and desire to help, even if they have never experienced it. We grownups overindulge and need to see the world through a child's eyes...often.

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  2. It really puts it into perspective doesn't it! We have it so easy that unimportant things take on a false importance.

    Thought provoking post, thank you. :-)

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  3. It is not hard to help. There are plenty of reputable organisations that allow you sponsor a child thus supporting the family too. The ongoing commitment is small and you can even communicate with them. It doesn't hurt at all!

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  4. I spent a couple of years working at an orphanage in Mexico. It was good for me, though a bit difficult at times when food was low. We never actually ran out though. Anyway, something like that changes the way you view everything. I do have a sponsored child in Bolivia, and my sophomores and I collectively sponsor a child in Thailand. We are assured that they get at least one good meal a day.

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  5. Nice post. Helping others is not a tough task indeed. It just takes sensitivity and heart. Hats off to Lilibeth!

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  6. A heart felt and thought provoking post, I can understand these feelings so well, a great response to the prompt.

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  7. its so easy to forget in a land of plenty that its not the same for everyone. A thoughtful post.

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  8. Yes, it is easy to do something, even a little helps. We god-parent a small boy in Peru through World Vision. He gets his food and water and schooling. The next project is a goat for his village.

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  9. A sobering piece - it is true that it is almost impossible to imagine what it must feel like to truly be hungry..even when 'hungry' we are not really at the bottom of our stomachs..good luck if you decide to follow the others and sponsor a child..Jae

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  10. What a thoughtful post. Our problems are really so small when compared with those who struggle for their most basic needs. Thanks for this.

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