Each contemplative practice in this course so far has been the part of the lesson that I look forward to the most. It’s a way for me to digest the information from the week, and put it into perspective in regards to my own thoughts and feelings. While each contemplative practice has forced me to think critically about each issue, this week’s practice about hunger resonated with me the most.
I’ve been hungry before, I’m even hungry right now. But I’ve never experienced hunger. I’ve never had to wonder when my next meal would be, I’ve never had to go to bed hungry, and although it’s hard to admit, I’ve probably been overly full more times than I’ve been underfed. The fact that I can make these statements and be so privileged, while people on the other side of the planet are dying of starvation is shocking to me. How can we live in America and have such an abundance and surplus of food and not be shipping it to Africa? These were my thoughts during the contemplative practice, and then this week’s lecture and readings put it into perspective for me. There are more systemic consequences that meet the eye when trying to solve the world wide issue of hunger, and although we wish we could just ship over food and fix the problem overnight, it isn’t that easy.