Yesterday I visited old Alfred who just came back from the hospital. I’d never been in his house before but saw him there daily as its next door to the Catholic grammar school that my boys, I and all my family went to since 55. He’s been in that house since the 40’s
The steps were solid stone 3′ x 2′ x 1′ The door was the old green door of my grandmother’s house, even the same type of paint. The chairs and tables were the same thing I used to see in her house. The stove had to be at least 70 years old and I think I’m underestimating it.
Alfred is 96 years old (will be 97 this year), he grew up on the street as my mother who he still calls “kid” (she will be 85 this year) We talked for a while and he talked about how as a kid he worked like a dog from sunrise to sunset, feeding the chickens, milking the cows, doing chores constantly.
He comes to mind today when I saw the doctor on Morning Joe complain about McDonalds, soda etc etc etc. She was stating how we should eat better, exercise more and get rid of the electronics, no TV no Computer yada yada yada…
She is correct about the health benefits and all that but the thing that really jars me is her objection to cheap plentiful food.
Any study of human history will show you that until the 20th century the specter of starvation and struggling to be able to feed a family was the norm of human existence. Anyone who lived through the depression knew how had it was to feed a family. Alfred’s his father and his family didn’t work like dogs because they wanted to, they did because they had to.
In a large chunk of the world the problem still remains and tens of millions face the scourge of hunger, not US food stamp hunger but African, Asian and South American no food to eat no clean water hunger. In human history that was and for a huge chunk of the world it still IS the NORM.
Thank God for a place where a person can eat and be full for less than the price of one hour of labor of the lowest paid person. You can make fun of McDonalds BK and the rest you can critique Chinese buffets, processed foods, genetically modified food etc etc etc, but these have helped to reverse the equation of human history and misery.
Dinesh D’Souza asked this question of an acquaintance of his “Why are you so eager to come to America?” He replied, “I really want to live in a country where the poor people are fat.”
We will all die of something someday but thanks to this modern world if you are in the US it won’t be of hunger. If one of our biggest problems is too much to eat they we should be damn grateful.
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