It is not my intent to throw a wet blanket on your holiday festivities, but after hearing me out I think you will agree it is good to be reminded of how blessed we are to live in America, however humble our individual circumstances may seem.
We are now in the midst of the great American holiday season. Historically this season has extended from Thanksgiving through New Year’s, but, increasingly, a strong argument can be made for including Halloween in this annual season of extravagant self-indulgence and, yes, even gluttony. To underscore this point, this past Halloween we Americans spent nearly $3 billion on candy, and an additional $4 billion on costumes and decorations.
Before the Halloween sugar high had time to wear off we made plans for our annual Thanksgiving feast. Collectively, we consumed 50 million turkeys, along with proportionately large servings of dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, yams with marshmallows, peas and carrots, sweetcorn, green bean casserole, cranberries, and dinner rolls with lots of butter; and we topped this off with generous slices of pumpkin, pecan, and apple pie adorned with a big scoops of whipped cream.
A few of the more ravenous carnivores amongst us added ham to their Thanksgiving menu, while prudent health minded vegans dined on tofu-turkey and steamed vegetables. Some ate more and some ate less, but on average we consumed 3,000 calories on Thanksgiving Day, which, had we decided to go for a walk to burn off those calories, would have required a hike of no fewer than 25 miles.
And next comes Christmas! We will begin this third of the four super holidays with a lavish exchange of gifts that will burn a hole in our wallets to the tune of $500 billion. Having skipped breakfast on Christmas morning (except for coffee, of course) we will sooth our hunger pangs by filling our plates to replicate the heroic euphoric caloric gorge orgy feast consumed just two fortnights before.
Ah, that should hold us until New Year’s Eve. Skip the food and pass the alcohol! Except for teetotalers (who statistically are less healthy than moderate drinkers), we Americans will welcome in the New Year by consuming more spirits and liquor than we do any other day of the year. Of note, our total alcoholic beverage tab for the year of our Lord 2013 will exceed $60 billion.
To call this “a season of extravagant self-indulgence and gluttony” is indeed not too harsh a phrase to use. So what can we do to bring some balance to our lives?
I propose we pause for a moment to share a serving of Plumpy Nut. The only problem with this idea is that Plumpy Nut is not available in stores, not even at Jungle Jim’s International Market. I checked – you can’t even buy Plumpy Nut online.
You see, Plumpy Nut is not made for you and me. It is made for the hundreds of thousands of severely malnourished children living in the impoverished nations of Africa and other third world countries – children who would literally starve to death were it not for Plumpy Nut. For these children Plumpy Nut is not a holiday treat. It is served 365 days per year, along with, or until, other nourishing food staples can be made available.
Plumpy Nut was created in the early 1990s by a Frenchman named Andre Briend, and is produced by Nutriset, a family owned business in Normandy, France. The simple formula consists of peanuts ground to a fine powder, vegetable oil, powdered milk, powdered sugar, and a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals – combine the ingredients, stir into a palatable paste, and serve at room temperature. Interestingly, and fortunately, peanut allergies do not seem to be a problem for the children of these third world nations.
I happen to love peanut butter and eat it on toast almost every day. As I do so, I often think about those children around the world whose lives are sustained by a simple diet of Plumpy Nut. One cannot help but be humbled by the thought of it.
So as you continue to enjoy this holiday season, and I truly hope you do, remember to count your blessings and give thanks for all that you have, no matter how humble your circumstances may seem.
George Brown is a freelance writer. He and his wife, Yvonne, live in Jackson Township.