This weekend = The Hunger Banquet = a chance to donate $10 to most likely sit on the ground and eat cold beans and rice BUT you pay it just in case you are lucky enough to be one of the few who gets to sit at a table and be catered to, or even sit in the back and enjoy pizza. The Hunger Banquet is a BYU sponsored event that gives people the opportunity to eat based on what income level they are randomly assigned, while watching performances and listening to guest speakers raise awareness about poverty. That $10 I mentioned earlier went to one of three charities, my choice. But of course, I was one of the lucky ones to score a seat on the ground, like just about everybody else in the room.
I know we were randomly assigned and the whole thing was supposed to make those on the floor realize what like 70% of the world is like, be happy your real life isn't like this all the time, and be jealous of the upper class sitting at tables being catered to. The "upper class" tables were supposed to realize how lucky they are as they enjoyed delicious food and clean water and saw that most people were on the floor eating crap. I know that was the purpose, but I didn't want to sit on the ground. I admit, I was pretty jealous of the "upper class" and I was starving. And I paid $10. So, just like in the real world of social class, Lance and I easily changed that. We snuck back outside, got in line again and did so until we got seated at the "upper class" table because that is how easy it is to move up in the world people.
Just kidding. It isn't that easy to just "move up" in social class or economic, education and social circumstances, like some may think. I've said it before, I believe in the American Dream. But I don't believe it's easy or even possible for everyone. Below is the food I ate. And guess what, it was probably about five times as big a portion as it should've been. And the brown water? Yeah, cocoa. So yes, you could say the Hunger Banquet fulfilled it's purpose and made me feel grateful for clean water and good food, among other things. But feeling grateful isn't enough, what have I done since then except feel lucky to be in such sweet circumstances, and feel bad for those who aren't?
Have you ever considered how much you have?
I cringe when I hear people comment on my mission stories with "Ewww! I'd just tell those people I didn't want any more or that I wasn't hungry." Then I remind them that the people who are feeding me are giving me all the food they have in the house. It's true that we Americans as a whole need to realize just how spoiled we really are. There are many more people in the world who are perfectly content with much less than even the leftoevers we throw out everyday because we "don't like it".
ReplyDeleteIt's not enough to just feel grateful and feel bad for others. Joseph Smith once said to his friends, "I feel sorry for Mr. --- in the amount of $5. How much do you feel sorry for him?" It doesn't have to be much, and it doesn't always have to be money, but something does need to be done.
This is true, Lance said he had a lot of the same experiences.
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