The Power of Ramen

Maybe it was The Road that got me started. Maybe the economic downturn spurred my thoughts on food storage. Or the fact that fall is in the air, and something biological inside of us makes us want to store up for the winter. Whatever the impetus, I challenged myself and Scott to use ony our food storage for a week, and not buy a single grocery. It turned out to be a good exercize, which resulted in some creative meals and more thought and preparation than I'm used to. Toward the end of the week, I wanted to go to the store for milk, but I cooked oatmeal for breakfast instead of cold cereal, so we would use less milk and take advantage of what we had in the pantry. Now I have a better idea of what I want to stock up on, and Ramen noodles are at the top of the list.

My point is that food costs are rising, and I want to be more prepared as well as be able to manage on less. My kids love Ramen noodles. I have to put aside my guilt over serving such a sparse meal and remind myself that most Americans get plenty of vitamins, and way too much food, frankly.

The first week I went to church as a freshman in college away from home, a family with six kids, the Sweeneys, invited me to Sunday dinner. Their house was tiny and only semi-furnished, but the kids were sweet and helpful. They served Top Ramen and Kool-Aid for Sunday dinner, with guests present. That's it, and they didn't apologize for it. The message was, "Don't worry. We don't have a lot, but we are here for you, and we will share what we have." Later, a Russian violinist I knew, Sergei, mentioned the Sweeneys. He said, "Those Mormons, they can do anything. You mention a crisis, and they are there with big plates of food and a bunch of people to help, like, five minutes later." Sergei was referring to an incident where the house he was taking care of flooded and the Sweeneys and their friends helped him repair the damage and kept him fed in the bargain. I wonder if the Sweeneys ate more Ramen noodles to compensate for feeding Sergei, a boy who was far, far from home.

There are times when we are called on to help others, and I would rather be in a position to help than be helped. If there is anything comforting, dignified and Christlike about food storage, it is that you have the ability to help your family and others because of your preparation. Friends and neighbors, if you fall short, bring what you have here and we will give you what we have. When you work together, one plus one equals a lot more than two. With one packet of Ramen, the Sweeneys gave me an ideal to live up to for a lifetime. That's a pretty useful packet of noodles.