“Waste not, want not” was a saying that I couldn’t understand when I was a kid.  I thought it meant that if you didn’t waste things that you wouldn’t want them.  I didn’t know that “want” could be a noun that meant the lack of something.  Only as I grew older and wiser, did I understand that meaning of this phrase.

Recently, it made me think of how much waste there is and how we often are not aware of how our actions can be the cause of lack in our lives.  I think of the enormous waste of food that I witness in “all you can eat” dining establishments. When I see all the food left on people’s plates as they leave the restaurant, it alarms me.  When I was a kid, my dad would let me order whatever I wanted, but asked me, “Are you going to be able to eat it?”  If it was a food that couldn’t be taken home and eaten later, then, not only would I have felt bad about it, I would probably not be enjoying that privilege for a while.  I can’t remember that happening, because I loved “everything.”

When I lived in California, we went to a Japanese restaurant that was “all you can eat.”  But, they had a policy of charging you for food left on your plate.  So if you wanted to try something new, you could just take a small taste to your table, and then go back if you liked it and wanted more.  I think that it was a good idea.  We never had any trouble with that.  When I see what’s left on people’s plates in restaurants, it makes me mad.  There is no reason to put large amounts of food on your plate and think it’s okay to leave more than you ate.  The “all you can eat” places, will not let you take the food home, which is understandable.  But leaving large amounts of food that will not be eaten is wrong.

My parents grew up during the depression and as a result of that upbringing, we never wasted food.  I loved eating leftovers because my mom was a good cook and everything was just as good the second time around.  I just believe that our country has a throw-away culture and people are often not nearly as grateful for the blessing of being able to eat almost any kind of food we would like to have, anytime of day or night, if we have the money to do so.  In our society, however, this is not true for many of our citizens.  At this time, we need to be mindful of this.  And if we are fortunate enough to have that luxury of regular meals, we should share our resources with others who are not so fortunate.

Being grateful, having the opportunity to help others because we don’t waste, and are not in want, is a privilege and ability not afforded to everyone.  “Waste not, want not” can be more than just a saying, but can also be an adage that calls us to action.  I am going to attempt to do more than I do now, because I can.  If enough of us do the same, hunger will be less prevalent and it could serve as an example of one simple way of “giving back” because we have been so blessed.