Tuesday, February 19, 2008

I can't help but wonder ....

After tomorrow another group of students shall have come and gone from my classroom one more time. Have I enriched their minds? What of their eating habits and practices? How much, I wonder.
Five years, or ten, from tomorrow, will they still remember that good nutrition is essential to one's health and well-being? Every time they prepare special meals for friends and families, will they still remember to use eggs because they need to leaven a bread, or to coat a chile relleno, or to thicken a flan? How about because eggs are rich in essential nutrients like protein and iron?
How much of those squashes in the market will they include in their dishes so their children will grow up shielded from possible eyesight problems? And those lemon trees. How much of those lemon fruits will they squeeze into lemonades so they'll acquire some protection from winter viruses?
Or will they just go to the nearest fast food and order the first item on the menu?
How many of them will refrain from resting elbows on the dining table, or slurping as they drink soup, or talking while their mouths are full?
I wonder.

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