Every day we are all lucky to sit down in Commons for a meal. We get to pick and choose from so many options that we can adapt our eating habits to maintain or improve our health, consider our ethical concerns or fill ourselves up until we get sick. Every one of us at Andover has the choice of going on a diet, being a vegetarian or stuffing ourselves with food until pleased. Many of us have never had to worry about eating to stay alive or competing to obtain the next meal. Most of us do not realize how lucky we are, regularly forgetting the luxury we have to complain about food. I’d like all of you to know about what happened to me during Spring Break while playing baseball. I imagined I was in for a normal evening of baseball. When I arrived, I hugged all of my friends, shared some of my experiences and challenged them to a game. As we were lining up the teams, one of them mentioned my new physique, commenting on how much healthier I looked; after all, there isn’t much fried food in Commons. I told him about how my vegetarian and athletic friends influenced my diet, recounting the chunks of granola, the salads, and all the sorts of food I began to eat at Commons. Talking with him, I didn’t realize how snobbish I appeared. My friend grew up in the Dominican Republic, and his comment shook me in a way I did not expect. “Yeah, where I come from, I laugh at the girls who go on diets, pretending to be rich, because most of them have to start eating again in less than a week.” Another friend of mine added, “We don’t have all those protein shakes and pills that you guys use to fill up on vitamins.” However, the last comment is the one we should be aware of most, “In this city many of us go hungry, specifically when I was a kid and did not have a job. You know, all of you guys are really lucky.” I had to agree. I have never actually gone hungry. Making sure I have food has never been my primary concern. In fact, many times I have rejected a meal because it was not tasty, healthy or did not meet my ethical concerns. Sometimes the variety does not please me and there have been cases when one plate has not been enough. In the end, the food I demand has always been a luxury I fail to recognize. Saddened by my new discovery, I began to look back and remember the times I have said no, complained or demanded something in regard to food. In front of me, there was a group of at least five kids who have had to struggle for lunch and dinner, and all I could think about was how Commons food was not as good as food at home. That day I promised myself that from that day forward I would not complain about my food. Regardless of how horrible the taste might be or how limited the options are, I would not complain about my food. At every meal I would be grateful for and enjoy everything that is on my plate. Many people are not fortunate enough to have a daily meal and I would contribute to the hungry each year. Join me, and remember the children, the families who wonder if they will have any food today. We at Andover are all very lucky.
