Hunger journals from Mr. DeBarthe’s students at Shawnee Mission East High
School in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. Read the story
about their fast.
Student 1
Friday Morning--It is officially the first day of my 2 day fasting experience.
Skipping breakfast isn't too hard, I can stand a day without breakfast. So I
pass up my usual bowl of cereal. Off to school, the hunger isn't bothering me
very much.
Friday Afternoon--By lunch time I am officially hungry, but I resist the urge. I
sat at lunch watching my friends eat their meals, but decided watching them eat
wasn't a good idea, so I turned to studying to get my mind off the temptation.
Friday Evening: At this time I am feeling weak and don't know how I am going to
last a whole other day. Before going to the East varsity football game, my
friends decide they want to go to Mr. Goodcents for dinner. The smell is so
great, at this time I would eat anything they put in front of me. I sat watching
them, drinking only water, thinking about things other than food.
Saturday Morning: Extremely hungry, I skip breakfast again, hoping I can last
through the day.
Saturday Afternoon: By this time I am going nuts, having not eaten for a whole
day I am slap happy and having a very hard time not just eating something,
anything!
Saturday Night: I have had it! Fasting is not for me. I now realize just how
much one really needs food to fuel their body. I gave in, depressed in not
having met my goal, but satisfied with lasting as long as I did.
I now have an appreciation for food I am provided with, I feel very blessed to
be able to have access to food whenever I want. I will no longer take food for
granted. This tiny fasting episode has given me a taste of what it’s like to
be starving and have no available food. This is a major problem that we all
should try to help prevent. There is enough food for every man, woman, and child
yet many are starving, there is a definite problem with this picture, and it
should be resolved. I will do everything in my power to help, and maybe if
everyone lends a hand we can end hunger once and for all.
Student 2
Friday 5:50 pm--As I sit at Arby's and have my "Last Meal" with
Ashley and Sam, doubts enter my mind about the two days fasting about to
begin. Doubts that I’m not going to make it the whole two days. Then the
thoughts about those people who don't have the option to decide the next time
they'll be able to eat again. This settles my decision I'm going to do this. I
have chicken strips and extra large curly fries as my last meal then head off
to the football game.
Saturday 12:02 am--I am sitting here on the computer after the football game
and the last of my friends departed from my house and thinking about how badly
I want something to eat. After cheerleading and working up an appetite, I
resist the temptation of popcorn and have a bottle of water. The thought, once
again, crosses my mind about the people who don't have the opportunity to
resist the temptation of food. How fortunate we are to have that luxury. I
once again resist the temptation and began my fourth Nalgene water bottle and
head to bed.
Saturday 11:45 am--I wake up and head down to the kitchen as usual. Expecting
my normal bagel and cream cheese waiting for me. I remember that I’m not
eating. Good thing my mom hadn't prepared breakfast for me, not eating since
5:30 the previous day was starting to become noticeable. I once again filled
my water bottle and headed back upstairs to watch TV. I thought it probably a
good idea to keep myself away from the kitchen. Self control was playing a
major part in this….I wasn't sure how much I had. I decided to go for a run
to keep my mind off of food. It was harder than I thought.
Saturday 12:30 pm--Exercise is great for a person. After going on a run, the
hunger I felt earlier has greatly diminished. I start on my third water bottle
for the day then realize the fact the starving people in the world don't even
have good water to sustain them as I'm doing. Why is there hunger in the
world? Why can’t the people that have such a surplus of food help those
hungry people? I don't understand. There are a lot things I don't understand
but hunger shouldn't be one of them. There shouldn't be hungry people when
anyone, anywhere throws food away, 8th wonder of the world.
Saturday 3:27 pm--While downing my sixth water bottle, I tell myself the
hunger I'm feeling is all mental. I don't physically need food. Mentally,
knowing that I can't have food makes me feel like I need it more. I don't, I
don't not need to eat!
Saturday 4:15 pm--I am preparing the cantaloupe for tomorrow’s luau. I am
tempted to eat a bite. Don't starving people in the world sometimes find a
piece of fruit? No I can’t. I’m not going to do it. Almost as much as I
want to relate to hunger around the world, I want to prove to myself I can do
this. The cantaloupe is looking good right now!
Saturday 5:37 pm--I am now babysitting, what does one do while baby-sitting?
Eat, well today I guess I’ll be doing something else. My trusty water bottle
follows me on the job, full again for the eighth time today. Preparing pizza
for my hungry charges doesn't seem to please me. I am in the midst of a
stomachache and food doesn't seem appealing. Could be the fact I haven't
eaten, could just be a normal stomachache.
Saturday 8:45 pm--After dealing with the garage door repair man, watching the
3 year old and bed time has been accomplished the thought again crosses my
mind of food.I start to do some homework to get my mind away from food
thoughts. As I work through my geometry and Spanish 2 work and watch TV as the
fast food commercials flash by I again start to think about my hunger. But I
know I am only gaining strength and understanding by doing this. Hey, maybe I
could do without eating for a few days! America is the fattest country in the
world! Hmm….is that a partial answer to the question?
10:20 pm Saturday-I- am sitting here watching Trading Spaces. Sipping on my
ninth water bottle today. I am missing the act of chewing….my jaw is stiff.
Ice! Ice is a solid form of water and chewable. Now I know most hungry people
don't have ice, or cool water even, but I guess I am taking advantage of my
position.
I am getting bored; babysitting can be such a boring five or six hours. I
called my brother to tell him about bebocle…. food, food, food! He just
laughs at me and tells me that he's thoroughly enjoying a cheeseburger and why
in the world am I fasting? I explain to him that I am trying to relate to
hungry people in the world. His only reply …..ummmm, ok! Haha back to the TV
show.
10:30 am Sunday--Waking up at 7:30 this morning did nothing to positively help
my attitude and watching my parents eat a wonderful breakfast after church did
nothing for my huge appetite. Getting though the first day of my fasting was
nearly as hard as sitting through the breakfast at Waids! We finally made it
home and back to my loving water bottle! While watching until the time to
drive out to drop off my cantaloupe at the church, I think about my past
almost two days without food. I realize that we eat so much! I think I eat out
of boredom and eating almost a hobby for people! There is no reason for the
amount of food we eat to be eaten. But it is just something we do. Eating has
become a horrible habit. Who would have thought Americans, or people in
general, would develop eating as a bad habit?
Sunday 2:30 pm--I have been out to the church and back to drop off my
cantaloupe for tonight's luau. Part of me wanted to stay for the ECO-SOCH
sessions but I had to come back to work on my group project. I am so hungry
right now! I don't want to drink any more water, I want food!! People who are
starving never know when their next meal is coming. I know I will be eating in
three hours, but the hunger pains are still there!
Sunday 3:45 pm--I am getting ready to leave for the luau, pumped for the
football game, and even more excited for the good food! Time to go now….FOOD!
Sunday 9:00 pm--Well I am now a well-fed person! What a learning experience
these past days have been. Talking to people at the luau about their fasting
experiences helped me to know most of those people went through similar things
as me. Hearing the man from Outreach talk about the slums visited made me
think hard about my life. How lucky I am to live where I do, have parents who
can feed, clothe, and educate me. There are so many people in the world who
don't have that. We've all grown up knowing there are less fortunate people
than us, people who don't have good homes and don't have food. But these facts
don't become understood thoughts, until you become a part of something that is
trying to help them. Fasting for two days, trying to relate to hungry people,
donating money to a find that raised over $2,500 to help school children in
Haiti. This is when those facts you've always known take a deeper meaning in
who you are as a person. This fasting has been a great experience for me, and
I'm glad I endured my measly two days without food.
Student 3
10:30-woke up planning to fast until the PIG at 4:00 or 4:30
10:45-family was eating a big breakfast, and I had to make 3 dozen cookies for
the PIG.
12:00-12:30-Got done making the cookies (I burnt my hand in the process of
making the cookies-NOT too bad though) cleaned up kitchen and took a shower,
thinking of anything to get my mind off food, because that was all I could
think about after seeing the cookies out of the oven. (very tempting)
1:00- picked up Jess and Alex to drop off our items at the church
1:30-1:45 -dropped off cookies at church and decided to come back around 4:00
2:00-4:00 -I couldn't stop thinking about eating (I think that in the United
States when people are bored we just eat because we have food that is
available to us and that is why there are so many fat people because they are
lazy and eat unhealthy things. But in other countries people aren't as lucky
as us and can't eat whenever they want.)
4:00-watched the pig being pulled out of the ground (smelled really bad)
4:30-Mr. DeBarthe talked for a while and so did the old minister of the church
we were at, another man that was talking too about when he went to another
country, what the conditions were.
4:45 -The food looked soooo….good and I was REALLY HUNGRY!!! There was
fruit, drinks, and dessert. Then we got into line and ate.
5:30-6:00 -I had to leave because I had to be home, the food was very good and
I ate a lot. As I drove home I felt satisfied at the contribution I made that
day.
6:30-got home and ate even MORE! Because I was so hungry.
What I got out of the PIG:
· It would be different to not eat when your body wouldn't be used to eating
all 3 meals and more. You would always be tired and weak. Your body needs a
certain amount of food to give you the energy you need to survive. People that
can’t eat every day don't get enough nutrients their body needs.
· The DeBarthe family is really caring; they give a lot to their community,
and people in other countries.
· A little goes a long ways. We are very privileged living in the United
States. I think we take a lot of things for granted.
Student 4
Saturday 11:00-I usually don't sleep in this late but I was really tired after
a long week. For my last meal before fasting I had a pop tart and a glass of
orange juice. Choosing a pop tart wasn't the best choice before fasting for a
day.
Saturday 1:00-(the phone rings) My friends and I decided to go to the movies
and see The Ring. BAD idea! I love popcorn from the movies. I walk into
the movie theatre and smell that yummy buttery popcorn smell. I continue on
into the theater and pass the concessions (I had the temptation) but continue
walking. I brought a large bottle of water with me to distract my mind from
any type of food.
Saturday 5:00-after the movie we go shopping and of course my friends decide
that we should get something to eat. The hardest part of this whole fasting
experience was watching my friends as they ordered Winstead's hamburgers and
fries. MY FAVORITE!!! As they munch down on their hamburgers I decide to have
some water.
Saturday 10:30-I am at a Halloween party and of course they decide to serve
food but I refuse. I am starting to feel a little weak and tired. I decided to
go to bed.
Sunday 12:00-I have to break the fasting because I am getting a headache. I
have a sandwich for lunch. Hey I fasted for 24 hours!!!
Overall thought of fasting: I thought that fasting was a very good way to
think about how many people were dying of hunger each year but it didn't teach
me what it was like to be hungry. At any point of the day I could have gone to
the refrigerator or opened the cupboard for some food. This day to me was more
like a remembrance for those who have died of hunger or those who are
suffering from hunger.
Student 5
You need food to grow, have energy, think and most important to survive. On
Thursday and Friday I fasted. Thursday was the hardest; I went to school
without even looking at the kitchen. At lunch everyone around me was eating
food. I just sat and stared at them. I tried not to think about it but it was
too hard. When they would throw away leftover food I wanted to reach in the
trash can and get it. When I got home from school I was in a bad mood. I
didn't know why though. I took an hour nap and when I woke up all I could
think about was food. It was hard to go to sleep that night because all I
could think about was my stomach. Friday morning I found that I was not as
hungry as I thought I was going to be. I went off to school with no problem.
During lunch I worked on homework even though I could smell food and see
people out of the corner of my eye enjoying a piece of pizza or cookies. After
school I drove to St. Louis. On the way I saw many food signs like Wendy's,
McDonalds, and Subway! I didn't have any homework to do so I closed my eyes
and dreamed about food. When I arrived in St. Louis it was late. I went to bed
right when I got to the hotel. The next morning I had some fruit and eggs! It
was so exciting! I went and played my soccer game. I was full of energy!
Fasting made me realize how important food is to function and how most people
take it for granted. Writing this has made me hungry. I'm going to eat now!
Student 6
The following notes are of my fasting experience. I started 7:00 PM Friday
night and continued till 7:00 PM Saturday night. My experience was over one
day, but included 13 hours of sleeping. The reason I included my night's sleep
was due to the company coming over to my house at 7:00 PM Saturday, and I
thought it would be polite if I ate some of the food they brought over.
Hour 1: I was not terribly hungry since I had a big dinner. I am looking
forward to upcoming hours.
Hour 2: Still was not terribly hungry, but my temptation for food was
beginning to increase and hints of food made me desire it.
Hour 3: I started to feel a little hungry. I usually go through school the
first hours of the day similar to this situation. I eat a small breakfast, but
by 5th hour I crave for food. My urge to eat is not too bad at this point.
Hour 4: I still am not very hungry, but right before I go to bed I usually eat
a snack or have some kind of dessert, so I’ll just have to see what effect
that has on me in the morning.
I slept for 13 hours (which I don't usually do.)
Hour 17: I woke up and was very hungry. I usually have a small breakfast, but
I had to skip it. I am awaiting for what the upcoming hours will bring.
Hour 18: I am getting more and more hungry and I feel somewhat selfish for
saying that I am so hungry. I know that the point of going on a fast is to at
least try to relate to the people who are hungry and staving every day, but I
don't think it’s fair for me to say that I am hungry when all I am doing is
experiencing a mere day of life without food. I think it’s hard to believe
that this fasting that myself and other people are doing is something that if
it continues long enough, kills people.
Hour 19: My mom was in the kitchen baking brownies, and they smelled so
delicious. I tried to do things that would keep me from thinking of food, but
little things made me think of food, the microwave alarm sounding, meaning
someone's lunch was ready, my mom and dad continually going to Hen House to
pick up little ingredients they forgot for their dinner, and just reading the
names of the foods I loved.
Hour 20: My stomach began to growl quite loudly and I couldn't seem to stop
it. I think it is interesting that I crave the foods that I have already
tasted, but the hungry would take any kind of food, just to fill their empty
stomachs.
Hour 21: I again tried to take my mind off food. I watched a little TV, but I
had to turn it off when a Denny's commercial came on about the new French
fries and hamburgers it was selling.
Hour 22: My need for hunger decreased somewhat. I played card games, and I
really didn't think about food that much, but I was starting to feel extremely
tired and I really didn't feel like doing anything. I finished my card game
and then went downstairs and was refreshed with the reminder that I had not
eaten in 21 hours, with the fragrance of my moms' wonderful chicken.
Hour 23: This hour seemed quite long. I tried to do anything to try to keep
myself from thinking about food, but I consistently looked at the clock till
the time I could write down my hour's experience.
Hour 24: This last hour was very hard. I was very hungry and the minute hand
on the clock seemed to move as slow as molasses. The guests for dinner
arrived, which uplifted my spirits because I knew the end was near, but this
also was somewhat disappointing. I was nowhere near to what the hungry go
through every day. At the end of my experience, I have food to look forward
to, but the people that do go through hunger every day just look forward to a
meager piece of bread or anything that would fill them up.
I really thought that fasting made me think about a lot of things
differently. Though I only fasted for a day, I learned that I should eat the
extra food on my plate at dinnertime. I learned that my extra food should fill
my stomach and not my dogs. Most important I learned that my experience was
nowhere near the people that live without food for days, and even die from not
eating. This experience was very hard not to fulfill, but I am proud of myself
that I successfully did not eat food for 24 hours. I learned a great amount
from fasting and I am really glad that I fasted because I learned a lot of
things and I got to experience them firsthand.
