Friday: the day after the fast ended. My fast experience was different from that of many other participants because I was visiting my twin and older sister in the Bay Area for most of the week. With no shopping trip and less control over when and how I ate, I experienced unique difficulties. As a plus, Palo Alto and San Francisco do provide some advantages, mainly with fruit trees and cheap, fresh produce.
My sister is eight months pregnant, and much of the five day visit consisted of discussions about babies and children, which made me ponder about the millions of children who must get through the day malnourished or uncertain if dinner will be provided that night. Having volunteered in the New Haven public school system during high school and college, I saw many students who lacked energy, acted out, or experienced difficulty concentrating. After eating on a low budget for a few days, I can start to better comprehend why school would be such a challenge and why scoring well on tests or completing homework on an empty stomach would be so hard. Working without consistent, nutritious food was certainly more difficult more me.
This week has really underscored the importance of how hard it is to get through the day and perform well without the proper nutrition, something I have taken for granted all my life. I think a really important step of action is to investigate ideas to expand more nutritious options for children and Americans at large-as having a sticky bun for breakfast and hot dog and fries for lunch does not offer the complete nutrients to growing children who need to concentrate and learn. While a huge undertaking, involving federal lunch programs, placement of grocery stores, food prices, and even overhauling food stamp programs, this affects millions of Americans' health and lives. We should certainly be willing to donate our time, talent, and treasure to hunger and malnutrition.
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