Wednesday, October 3, 2012

[The #30WriteNow October Writing Challenge] On Hunger

Today's prompt, if we choose to use it, is Hunger. I'm shooting for 3 out of 3...Not sure where I will go with this prompt, but let's see.
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hun·ger/ˈhəNGgər/

Noun:
A feeling of discomfort or weakness caused by lack of food, coupled with the desire to eat.

I guess I wasn't sure where to start with this, so I went to look the definition up. 

So here's a fact with me... I get cranky when I get hungry. I get headaches, feel lousy, and get really, Real.ly cranky. Food is tied to very strong emotions. Florian and I had numerous conversations if food was a cumbersome routine or symphony experience of the five senses. If a pill was invented that could keep a person nourished and not hungry, Florian would opt for that version. I would cry. It is definitely an efficient way to go about your day. The amount of free time that would open up, but I would not want it that way.

I love shopping at super markets. I love picking fresh produce, picking them out, rotating them in my hand, smelling and seeing the vibrant colors. I relish in the idea of trying new ingredients; it's like going on an adventure and not knowing how it will turn out.

My deep relationship with food comes from the way our family treated food and dinner time. My parents instilled an appreciating for food and gratefulness never to experience hunger. 

Not everyone is as fortunate. It's evident in the soup kitchens and food banks that are everywhere across the country. There are always heart-breaking stories of children trying to sneak out their lunch, because they wanted to bring a roll back for their sibling, who is hungry. But the teachers have a job to make sure that they eat their one hot meal completely. Heart-wrenching. 

And these are kids in a neighborhood less than 20 minutes away from where I live. It's a surreal picture: a wealthy middle to upper class neighborhood border by a low income neighborhood. The contrast is quite drastic and all separated by one thing: hunger.

And the worst part is that people don't choose this.

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