The Haves and the Have Nots Again and Again

"In that location a billion people in the world who are chronically hungry.  At that place are a billion people in the earth who are overweight."

-Mark Bittman

It's 4am and I'yard awake, really, I have been for a few hours.  This is not an uncommon occurrence for the past decade or so – always as well much cluttering my heed.  Anyway, I'm enjoying breakfast, my showtime of three fresh, well-prepared, nutritious meals of the day, sitting next to the radiator in my comfy home thinking nigh the day ahead.  Maybe information technology was a result of watching the tragedy in Ukraine unfolding on live television last night, or reflections on my own good fortune, but I just couldn't get past that feeling of embarrassment for all that I accept.

As I sipped on a hot cup of tea, I started to Google some frightening statistics that I was somewhat cognizant of, only of a sudden fully away of the take's and have nots.  The opening quote from Mark Bittman – author and New York Times columnist, was a starting point.   And so, I thought that it might be helpful for all of us, the ones who have a calculator or smart telephone at the prepare to read this article, to pay attention to the dichotomy.

• 10% of the world lives on less than $2 per day.  Sure, I worked hard all my life and earned the comfort of retirement investments and my monthly social security check, but man – $two per day!
• At that place are 56.i million – millionaires in the world and 2,800 billionaires.  Let that sink in for a minute and and then re-read the previous statistic.
• The average American spends $three,000/year in some type of restaurant. OK, I shouldn't complain almost this – the restaurant industry allowed me to be where I am and "thanks" for spending your difficult-earned coin there, merely an enormous number of people worldwide will not but never see a restaurant, but they may as well not see their next meal of boiled rice for some fourth dimension.
• 2 billion people worldwide suffer from some form of malnutrition.  Hmmm, that's 25% of the earth'southward population.  So, when any one of u.s.a. grumbles about missing a repast or portions a bit besides minor nosotros need to think about how many people wish that they were in our shoes.
• 12.5% of American families are food insecure.  Await a minute – this is the richest land in the world, we are 1 of the elevation agricultural countries in the world, nosotros have an incredible food distribution organisation and more restaurants per capita than anywhere else – we couldn't possibly take that many people wondering almost when their next repast will be available.  Or could nosotros?
• 1–tertiary of world food production is wasted, and the figure is the same in the U.South.  So, what they are saying is that the food is there, but we simply fail to go it in the hands of the hungry.  Really?  How could this be?  All that food on farms, in grocery stores, and in restaurant coolers, winds up as waste?  Yikes!  If it doesn't look quite every bit pristine, if it has a bruise, or if it is a 24-hour interval or two one-time – your local grocery store and eating house is likely to toss information technology in the trash while ane-3rd of their neighbors are hungry.  How could that be? (I take another sip of my tea)
• 785 meg people worldwide do not take access to potable water. Fourth dimension to start my daily health routine past drinking the first of 6-8 classes of h2o a solar day, right earlier I take a 10-minute shower.  I wait out my window at the lake below my house, the 1 I take for granted and suddenly realize how precious that glass of h2o is.
• Here's a telling statistic: 63 1000000 children worldwide, between the ages of 6-11 will not be able to attend school. Oh, but 525 million people have a college caste – I'm ane of them, in fact, I have three degrees.  Talk almost cause and consequence.  How is it possible that this many people are unable to take admission to a basic advantage?
• 150 million people worldwide are homeless.  I look effectually my business firm – it is small simply comfortable, sits on ½ an acre of land overlooking a lake, we are able to accept good intendance of it and occasionally change the décor in a room or two, buy new towels for the bathrooms, replace battered china and glassware, and enjoy the memories of raising three children here and welcoming those grandkids a few times a year.  There are 150 million people who are unable to say this.  How could this be?  Some live in shelters while many simply curl upwardly in an alley and endeavor to get through another day without a roof over their heads.  My tea is getting cold now.
• Every bit I spotter families struggling to leave their homes in Ukraine and detect shelter in Poland or Romania, I make up one's mind to Google whatsoever data on refugees worldwide.  According to the Danish Refugee Counsel there are 82 one thousand thousand refugees worldwide – people who are forcibly displaced from their home state (this is a statistic BEFORE the war in Ukraine.) Gulp.  82 1000000 people who only desire the basic correct to live in their dwelling house land and deport on with their lives.  They get out jobs, traditions, family, and generations of memories to observe safety from oppression.  They may very well become role of that homeless population soon.  I stare out my window again and requite silent thanks for the country where I alive, the democracy that we often take for granted, the ability to speak my mind and even point out mistakes and shortcomings of our leaders, and shudder to remember what information technology would be like if all of that was lost.
• I migrate away for a moment and shake my head about the price of gas when I filled up my car yesterday. The price was over $4/gallon.  I searched for toll comparisons to other countries:  France $eight.23, Kingdom of denmark $ix.seventy, Germany $9.12, Italia $ix.08, and this list goes on.  Oh, what am I complaining about?  How many people in the world volition never own a auto, let alone detect themselves complaining about a gallon of gas.

Anyway, I'm still awake, fifty-fifty more so now.  I shake my caput and put the kettle on to make another loving cup of tea.  How fortunate am I?  How fortunate are we?  We have so much opportunity, we take more than we demand.  My refrigerator is full, my dwelling house is comfy and paid for, I have resource that I saved for 50 years, nosotros are salubrious, well-educated, and able to speak our minds.  I drink water with reckless abandon, and plan meals with fresh, available ingredients without giving adequate thought to all who are unable to say the same.

This is a world of the have's and take nots.  A world that isn't off-white and seems unable to contemplate what that means.  We must take fourth dimension to sympathize this and find means to help rectify the wrongs.

As a erstwhile chef and educator, I must do what I am able to practice.  I spread the word, back up organizations like World Central Kitchen, Habitat for Humanity, and UNICEF's Assistance for Ukrainian Children, C-CAP, local food pantries, and nigh chiefly never accept for granted what I accept.

PLAN BETTER – Railroad train HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericacues.com

SUPPORT THEIR WORK:

World Key Kitchen

https://wck.org

Habitat for Humanity

https://secure.habitat.org/

UNICEF – Help the children of Ukraine

https://www.unicefusa.org

C-CAP – Culinary Education for underserved communities

khanalownd.blogspot.com

Source: https://harvestamericacues.com/2022/04/02/the-dichotomy-of-the-haves-and-have-nots/