We live in such an awesome place.
Arkansas is home of the Razorbacks, North America’s only diamond mine, Center Point peaches, Hope watermelons, Murphy Oil, cows, broilers, soybeans, rice, Larry White’s friend “Satellite“ Jim Brewer, the Walton Family, the Win Rockefeller family, Stephens, Inc. – the list goes on.
We’re also number one in the nation in hunger among our elderly. How could a rural, southern state that produces so much food, and is famous for its hospitality, be number one in hunger?
Surely there’s been a mistake. Surely New York – or Michigan – has more hunger amongst senior citizens than we do.
Not according to Arkansas Aging magazine, which for the third year in a row says we rank at the top of the shameful list of hunger among senior adults.
If I were outside looking in, I doubt if I’d want to move here based on that statistic. And, as we grow older, there’s more to consider than pretty scenery.
According to an Arkansas Department of Health behavioral risk study, over 67 percent of our populace is obese and 23 percent of us smoke, but our elderly are hungry in this “Bible Belt” state. I reckon we don’t practice what we preach.
Some of y’all have seen a notice the schools send home telling you that your child is obese according to state standards. Maybe we need to measure state and federal employees, send them a note if they are obese and dock their salary or reduce the amount of food they consume – especially when they are too dang fat to work in the garden.
In closing, if these stats bother us all, good. And they should cause us to do what we can to end hunger amongst our neighbors, especially, our elderly who have paid their dues and should be able to enjoy their “golden years” without worrying about their next meal.
“I know a country melody, my momma’s cooking something to eat. How about a rock and roll jamboree? You know it’s alright with me!”
-The Adventures of Panama Red
New Riders of
the Purple Sage
“Peter, do you love me? Then, feed my sheep!”
-John 21
