Heat and Warmth

We live in an era of mass production and manufacturing, where even food, that most fundamental of things, is standardised, packaged and made artificial. For example, when I went to Holland Park today, there was an abundance of sandwich packs, crisp packets, and even an empty pizza box lying in the grass. Some of them had not even been fully consumed, and so throwing them away was a source of worry.

The thing is, I'm starting to doubt the entire point of eating pre-made food. It only really seems to help when you're in a hurry, or in a busy workplace without much time to commit to eating. But it's definitely not pleasant. You can either eat it cold, in which case it is uncomfortable to the gullet and stomach, and not very satisfying, or hot after heating it in a microwave, which is slightly more tolerable. But even then, it only has heat, a barebones product of physics - the result of vibrating particles without sentience or emotion. It does not have the human warmth and dedication that makes good food truly worth eating.

Contrast this with the exquisite cooking that I'm privileged to eat every day at home, produced by the masterful and artistic hands of my dear mother. It is true that in terms of bulk output, my human mother is somewhat outperformed by huge factory complexes. But that is nothing compared to the love and care that she puts into each dish that she makes for me, my sister and my father. Every forkful or spoonful tastes different, powerful, unique and delicious, in contrast to the monotony of industrial products. From simple soups to complex Korean cuisine, it's impossible to find something straight off the shelf that rivals my mother's cooking. That just can't happen.

Human warmth is what has allowed us to produce not just superb, heart-warming food, but also diverse cultures, beautiful works of art, and interwoven communities. These serve to maintain our social fabric, so that we can remain together and survive, even while isolated during this pandemic. Note that, while the manufacturing processes and economies of nations are falling into difficulties due to COVID-19, if anything, cohesion, mutual support and interactions between people have all increased, albeit mostly online. Although I would much prefer face-to-face contact, the tighter connections between people in the virtual world are still evidence that society is still working. We're still looking out for each other.

On park cleaning today, I got evidence of this first-hand, when a pair of the staff came up to me and thanked me for my efforts. Although I initially felt awkward about this meeting - after all, I was technically doing their work and so making them redundant! - they were effusively grateful and kind, even going so far as to offer me some of their plastic bags. That was surprising, and very moving.

The milk of human kindness flows in all of us. It can be there in what we do; we don't have to be forced onto strict factory-lines of action, or act robotically for one's own good. Let's keep that in mind for the future.