Sometimes, when you hear certain things happening in society, you just sit down and wonder what exactly is going on. Imagine a woman declaring her husband dead when the man is still very much alive, simply because she wants to collect a bag of rice, some foodstuff and maybe a little money.
Honestly, when I first thought about something like this, I couldn't help but wonder how bad things must have become for someone to consider doing such a thing. I am not saying what she did is right, far from it. Declaring someone dead when you know very well that the person is alive is a serious matter, and there should be consequences for such dishonesty. But at the same time, I think we need to look beyond the act itself and ask what could make a person so desperate.
Let's be honest with ourselves, hunger is not something anybody should joke about. When there is no food at home and your children are looking up to you for something to eat, life can become very frustrating. Imagine having children who have not eaten properly, a landlord disturbing you over rent, bills piling up and absolutely nobody to call for help.
You wake up every morning thinking about what your family will eat that day. In such situations, some people may begin to think in ways they would never have imagined when things were better. That is one thing poverty can do to people, it can put a person under so much pressure that even things they once considered shameful may begin to look like an opportunity.
What pains me most is that a bag of rice, which some people can comfortably buy without thinking twice, could become so important to another person that they are willing to tell such a terrible lie just to get it. This is why I believe we should never be too quick to judge people without understanding the circumstances surrounding their lives.
I know it is not every poor person that will engage in dishonest acts, and poverty should never become an excuse for doing wrong. There are people who have very little but still hold firmly to their values.
But, we cannot pretend that hunger and hardship do not affect people's decisions. Sometimes, the problem is not that people don't want to work or make honest decisions. The problem is that life has become so difficult that their efforts are no longer enough to meet even their basic needs.
A society where people are struggling to afford ordinary food items should be a serious concern for everybody. We should be asking ourselves why basic necessities have become so difficult for many families to afford. I keep thinking about that woman and the situation that could have pushed her to such a decision even at this time that the food items are surplus but the problem is the money to buy it.
What if she had genuine support? What if there was enough food on her table? Would she even have considered such an action?We may never know but one thing is clear to me, people should not have to reach the point where they are willing to declare a living person dead just to put food on their tables. May we never find ourselves in a situation where hunger pushes us to do things we would never have imagined doing.
Poverty is not just about lacking money. Sometimes, it is about being pushed into situations where survival begins to compete with your conscience.
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