I was sitting on a curb down a narrow alley in Kolkata. I’d befriended a young local who lived in the slums and had asked him what his favorite food was. “Whatever I get, I eat.”
The moment I heard his answer I realized just how privileged the question was. I had a lot to learn about the line between necessity and luxury. Choice, favorites, preferences. These are all luxuries. It also occurred to me that his answer could be quite a powerful life philosophy.
Whatever I get, I eat. Whatever life brings you, eat it.
Don’t wish for a different meal. Don’t wish for brown rice instead of white, or chicken instead of fish. Don’t wish for a different boss or a bigger house.
Whatever life has brought you, eat it. Be grateful that there’s a meal at all.
