Saturday, July 23, 2011

Computers and Hunger

This past Sunday my computer was infected with a nasty virus. I have been 7 days without my PC and it seems like an eternity. I am able to use my husbands MAC but maneuvering the MAC is very time consuming. I constantly look over at my empty computer desk and hope that it appears. With more free time on my hand and the inability to concentrated on work I found myself reflecting on other life events and trying to recall a time when I felt at a loss for something that I worked with.

My post graduate nutrition class came to mind. One of my earlier nutrition classes required us to purchase a typical list of food that a family would purchase that was living on what was considered poverty level. We were encouraged to purchase the list items which included beans, rice, peanut butter, bread, milk and a few other items. We were then told that we would have to submit our food journal for the next week of what we ate as well as how we felt. Our professor told us that she would know if we actually did the assignment by what we submitted on our food journals. I purchased the items and tried to adhere to the assignment as much as possible. I found myself thinking about food all of the time and longing for my normal latte and Starbucks splurges. I truly felt a sense of withdrawal and longing for my normal food that I purchased without a second thought.
This amazing assignment that I thought would be a breeze taught me a major life lesson. I had a better understanding of what adults and children must feel like when they had a limited income and minimal resources. I understood that it was a problem and when I see the ads for childhood hunger I understand that it is a reality.

I don't know why my mind took me back to that time in my life. I think that it could be that I have not thought about the children that go without food in awhile and that maybe I should try to advocate more for those children.

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