A Place at the Table: Response

I always thought that I struggled with paying for my groceries and I was feeling a little hungry from time-to-time because I’m in college and that’s what’s expected.
Everyone knows that I’m busy all day and all night and working is hard to do.
That leaves me with a really tough question:

Does that give me a hall pass to feel hopeless?

Today, I grabbed a friend of mine and went to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in downtown Kalamazoo to watch a film called A Place at the Table. It was a documentary that lasted about an hour and a half long.
The film covered a plethora of different topics from food inequality, food justice, welfare issues, political issues, etc.
As I’m watching, I’m starving.
I got up this morning at about 8:00 to walk the 2 miles to campus to start my day.

I hadn’t been able to feed myself all day… but even if I did get a chance to grab something to eat before I headed out the door what would it have been?

One bowl of cereal to last me for 9 to maybe 12 hours or more?
Then what? Instant pasta, bread, protein mix and spaghetti noodles inhabit my pantry.
I’m watching this film as people place orders for deep fried food, cheeseburgers, popcorn and fries.

I look over and shake my head… How ironic is it that we’re watching a documentary about people starving, food inequity and national hunger and just 40 feet away from me, some fat bastard is chowing down on his hamburger.

Then the realization slaps me across the face.

Am I in this category? Am I food insecure?
Sure, I have money in the bank and food in the cupboard but not much… and there are times I have gone without eating dinner to help me save money or save food.

I don’t think I’m food insecure and I don’t think I’m in as nearly as a difficult situation as the people featured in this documentary… though some days, I feel their pain… both physically and emotionally. I definitely know where my next meal will come from, but it still isn't easy...

But then again, whoever said this was easy for average Americans.