David and I are of the baby boom generation. He grew up in the U.S.A.; and I, in Japan.
In the 1960s, when my brother and I were old enough to understand what was going on, my parents used to remind us to be grateful for never having to worry about where the next meal was coming from. To them, it was a logical thing to teach their children. After all, they had lived through the period which included World War II, which had caused severe food shortages. According to my mother, rice, a staple food in Japan, was provided through rations. Each family needed to make sure that each ration would last long enough until when the next supply was to become available. My parents – along with millions of other parents – must have done a good job of suppressing the expectations of hungry children. Somehow, we all survived, albeit much smaller in stature than most American children of similar age. (I had a few American friends in our then neighborhood in Tokyo.)
Such experiences notwithstanding, never in my lifetime, have I ever experienced a situation where I did not know where my next meal was coming from.
Thankfully, this is the type of topic that most of us do not even think about today – at least in the Western world. When hungry, all we need to do is open the refrigerator, and determine which item looks the most appetizing; or decide what can be “whipped up” with available ingredients.
I hope that the world remains peaceful and with plenty of food for all future generations everywhere. When tummy is full, few, if any, would think to go to war — unless, of course, it’s your job in the military.
Cheers to peace!
