Above all, food pleases human beings more than anything else. All of us labor for butter-and-bread to be able to satisfy our basic natural needs; eating, without which our existence will be at stake. Human settlement, where people make homes since creation, has been along river bank to a great extent, for the very purpose of producing food for the household. Of the three basic human needs, food is given the highest priority in life since it is the key for existence. A person, no matter how beautifully he is attired and how luxuriously he lives in a mansion, as long as his tummy is empty, he is the most wretched person on the face of the earth.
Things that we eat are vital for existence, health and physical development. Producing and eating tightly accords with human nature. Wining and dining generates great joy. Everywhere people enjoy eating together, given situations and circumstances are viable. In a society, especially in Ethiopia, it has been culturally proven that food, of all things, is the binding factor for as long as the society has existed. In Africa, the question of shortage is never a problem; whatever available is sufficient even if it is only one morsel or two. Sharing is what matters even if the stomach is not a quarter full.
In times of abundance too, the same sentiment prevails. It creates of belongingness, taking them to a new height in their social interaction. The literal Amharic expression you have eaten from my hand conveys the message convincingly. Of course, the expression is used in a similar situation other than food, like financial support, lending money in times of crisis, and the like. All these being in order, there are other issues to be considered. As the writer has tried to bring forward the beauty of eating together, the social behavior in which eating takes place becomes an issue of serious consideration. It sets behavioral offense to the partakers of the feast.
Obviously, people, more than the eating, enjoy the decency that favorably appeals to the sense while the diners are around the table. Rules of conduct in which people agree on, while eating, must be strictly observed. In fact, King Solomon, in the big Book exhorts that one should place a knife on his neck while sitting among people to eat. The implication is simply not to be greedy. A standard, as representative of the group in which he happens to be, must be maintained. Anything the subject does against the standard makes him badly behaved and appears a nuisance to the people around.
In our circumstance, lately the improper manners of eating have rather sparked questions why it is like that and a fury in the onlookers while the unsuitable act is underway. Many are often heard airing their rejection of the act vehemently. While sitting around a big tray and eating, the problem of bad-eating habit shows itself. To begin with, in the civilized group, the circumstance calls for fair share among the diners. The situation should not surface self-indulgence. Such bad manner of eating becomes more visible when hand is used which is taking a very large portion of the food and forcibly stuffing it into the mouth with fingers until the cheeks are in near-bursting state.
From its appearance, the size of the mouth is not proportional to amount of food forced into it to accommodate it; furthermore, it makes chewing a very difficult task and the eater sometimes swallows the food as it is; thus one can see the burden it causes to digestion. Along with this, the problem of talking while eating, in which the food particles sometimes escape and fly in the air and even falling back on the tray is quite a revolting experience; it is strongly advised not to talk while the food is still in the mouth. Picking tooth before eating is over is very offensive and rather barbaric.
Relevant to such act, the writer, at sundry times, has observed many partakers the feast quit eating with such people out of disgust. The other bad table manner observed is the way in which foods like spaghetti or pasta is eaten. Pasta is rather a flimsy and is confortable only when eaten with spoon and fork without being chopped. For that matter the producers could have made it appropriate for eating with fingers. Wrapping it with injera (the staple food) and eating is rather awkward and indecent when seen. It should be noted that not all people are fast eaters. Exhibit a civilized behavior to keep pace with slow eaters for the sake of decency.
In this case, discussing and sharing ideas is possible if there pauses between eating. Round-table social interaction is more enjoyable while eating than without it; drinking, laughing and talking should punctuate the process of eating. You should prioritize the interest of others and give them time to catch up with you. Focusing on scramble for the food only reduces humans to the state of animals that least care for their companions. When someone sits at the table to eat, he should not approach the situation with apprehension for fear of being among those who eat gluttonously.
One should not be charged with food uncontrollably and with little restraint like animals that live only to eat. Rather he should feel free to sit and make himself at home. Eating in relaxed state of mind, without greed, makes the situation very interesting. The enjoyment is not only for one individual but also to all those around the food tray or mesob (in local vernacular). After all, decency must be maintained in such circumstance. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE BEHAVING WELL IN EVERYTHING WE DO. IT IS A MARK OF CIVILIZATION. I HOPE YOU GOT THE MESSAGE WELL.
The Ethiopian Herald Sunday Edition May 26/2019
BY JOSEPH SOBOKA
