Old women and food

[Fantozzi 4,069]

Did it happen to you you were visiting some elderly people, maybe an aunt or a grandmother, doesn't matter, and when it's time to go, they offer you some food to take home. Do you want to take two slices of the cake? This morning we picked some tomatoes, they are really sweet, you want some tomatoes? There is some chicken left from dinner - do you prefer the chicken? They sound like market women they have something to sell. And they won't let you go until you didn't accept one of the offers. And they won't be glad until they made you a packet lunch you can carry with you. Now they are satisfied, now you are allowed to go.

In all the years I observe people this seems something connected to a certain generation. And maybe to certain regions. First: I notice this mostly happens in rural areas, rarely in bigger cities. Second: I notice younger people won't offer you some food, even what is left over from dinner, to take it with you. For them it seems to be impolite to offer leftovers. It seems to be a tradition of the ordinary folk but not of those with higher education. Again, I'm unshure. But it seems to me people of higher education find it embarassing if they are asked: but won't at least take some of the apples from the tree in the garden?

But then I doubt - it's because of the war, and they experienced hunger and how important it is to share food to survive. Don't know. I experienced this in so many places, but not everywhere. 

Did you experience this phenomenon too? Can you say something about it?   

[SecretMbr_735754 2,158]

I notice a difference in the sharing behavior of people in my family and in society according to their generation, education, and region of origin as well.   I had one of those grandmothers who insisted on giving food, and would not let you leave the dinner table until you were stuffed full.   The traditional East European food she served was very good food so it wasn't too hard to comply.

One important detail in this topic is the fact that these grandmothers were mothers who experienced having and nurturing children during desperate times, taking care of critical and essential needs, and generally I think people used to be more competent of the essential material reality of life shared by all human beings.

For more people today life seems to be becoming more about desperate competition for fewer resources, and so essential social character and behaviors are in decline. If the trend continues the outcome is not good for anybody.

[airman15 4,113]

I feel it has more to do with cutting back on wasted foods in more rural sections of the map. If your food supply is cut for some reason and you're already in an area that may not see a (relatively) infinite stream it would be best to conserve what you have. Instead of letting the food that was prepared expire, let someone else have what you won't take that way each of you get fed.

We keep non-perishables stocked as we did so in the city. It's even more important now as there are only a few grocery chains within a 10-mile radius and the nearest 'cities' are no closer in my area. We don't even have a full municipal water system either; we only get that for water entering. Everything else goes to a tank.

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

I'm waiting for replicators...

[morsabel 7]

This actually normal, my grandmother always do this whenever I pay her a visit or she visits us. She will complain about having some leftovers on the plate, so we don't have a choice but to finish the meal that she prepares.