Hunger

I had a few errands to run in the downtown core this morning so I stopped to grab a quick breakfast at one of the multinational fast-food megachains. Completely by accident, I recently discovered that their breakfast burrito contained an egg-product that tastes disturbingly more like egg than real egg. I'm not sure how they do that and I definitely don't want to know how. I do like the taste so I indulge sparingly.

I was reasonably happy, calm and at peace this morning instead of my usual rush-rush-rush mode so I sat down with my order and did a bit of people-watching. I'd been to this particular fast food outlet before but I guess I must have been preoccupied previously because I noticed something I had never noticed before: the people there were eating but all of them appeared miserable. They eat but they still look empty inside, their hunger unassuaged.

Maybe I'm imagining it but there's a terrible look of despair in their downcast eyes as they munch on cheap, low-grade food. Yes, we don't have as much hunger in Canada as other places in the world does but are fast-food joints the answer? The food they serve is tasty but absolutely terrible to your health. We have a serious obesity problem on our continent; the fast-food companies are not entirely to blame but they are certainly instrumental and enablers to our obssity epidemic. I understand that the industry has a term for folks who frequent fast-food joints: they are called Heavy Users, which at least to me, brings to mind drug usage. That said, they not all to blame: the diners had a choice not to eat there.

Or do they?

If you're strapped for cash, what will you do: go hungry (non-viable long term), eat cheaply but poorly or eat well but deplete your dwindling funds? When you can have a lunch for $2, would you do that or go to the local grocery chain to get something healthy? Remember, the healthier it is, the more expensive it will be - that is the twisted logic in our industrial world today.

But the despair. The silence, which was only broken by the shrill punctuation of the fast-food joint workers calling out orders. Everyone looking down at their food, not talking even to the person they're eating with.

Yes, I know, I'm eating there so what right do I have to comment and judge? Comment yes, judge no - I don't know the stories of the folks there. But it is non-trivial to me that everyone's there sitting and munching quietly with an aura of gloom. Maybe they're sleepy? Maybe it's too early in the morning? Perhaps.

Why am I affected? I'm not sure I know. It's just depressing to see that such a joyless place exists. Colourless diners in a colourful diner, filling their mouths in all-consuming silence.