Every other Tuesday, you will find me teaching cooking classes at two supportive housing buildings in Manhattan. Learning about people’s lives as I show them some easy and affordable dishes that they can cook on a hot plate is inspiring, but also quite humbling. Most classes, I am the one learning. And when I step outside into the exclusive streets of the Upper West Side, my awareness of the heartbreaking disparity of wealth that exists in our society is heightened.
This experience has got me thinking about the dichotomy of value. That despite our best intentions, why is it that our society values the lives of certain people over others? And is it really true that we perceive people with more money to be more valuable?
Spiritually, human value is probably one of the few topics most major religions and self-help gurus can actually agree on. This is the idea that we all intrinsically have value. That we are in fact enough just as we are.
Realistically, though, we are in a capitalistic society where our value seems to be measured by the monetary success we earn through our “hard work”. But we all know that wealth is not gained by hard work alone and that you can work very hard and still not have enough.
Food brings up all sorts of complexities around value. While working to ensure people have enough food is a cause that aligns with most people’s values, good food is expensive. And in a system where profit tends to take precedent over human value, how do we make good food available to all and guarantee that people working in food are fairly compensated?
Even if you have not experienced food insecurity, we all understand what it feels like to not be valued. And at a moment that is marked with rising rent prices, bank failures and slashed SNAP benefits, carving out value for ourselves and others beyond dollar signs is more important than ever.
The truth is that we are all so much more than this antiquated system of measurement. We each bring our own unique spirit, gifts and strengths to our families, communities and work. We must find a way to know this in our bones and yet still deal with the reality of paying for our lives in an uncertain world.
So what do you value? And how do you measure your value beyond your bank account? In a time of great financial uncertainty, how do we value the lives of everyone?
Our next Virtual Gathering’s theme is: Value
Please join the call with a snack or beverage and a story about a food that your value.
When: Community Brunch Pod - Thursday, April 20th, at 1PM ET / 10AM PT
Virtual Gathering - Thursday, April 20th, at 8PM ET / 5PM PT
How: Sign up here. Zoom details will be sent on the day of the event.
Cost: $20 to secure your spot (Venmo @communityincontext)
Happy Spring and talk soon!