When people pull their face at the thought of picking up a crumb or a morsel of food that fell to the floor to clean it and eat it, I immediately see this picture in my mind. When yesterday’s left overs leave me feeling frustrated at the thought of having the same meal again, this photo creeps into my head. And worse still, when obese people plunge food down their throats in gluttonous volumes, and discard what they couldn’t finish because they reached the point of nausea, I think of this child.

This child would probably develop the most beautifully calming smile, with excitement in his eyes, and gratitude in every breath if he were just allowed to share in the crumbs and left overs that so many of us discard out of embarrassment or extravagance, or greed and ingratitude. We’ve become too high class to eat crumbs off the floor, or to save left overs for later unless the left overs are from a distinctly extravagant or indulgent dish.

There are times when the world leaves me feeling sick to my gut, and disillusioned at their fickle frailties. This is one of those times.