Smearing of birthday cake

At some point or the other, all of us have experienced this rather vile act of getting someone to cut their birthday cake and then use the top of it to cream the person's face and surrounding body portions.

Pretty much like many traditions that we have, this one is quite popular. I have been a victim of it and have also shamelessly indulged in smearing others, till a couple of years back.

During my evening tea break at the food court at work, I find that on at least 5 out of 7 days, there is a mini birthday celebration by a group of people. Considering the country's population and the number of people who work in my company, the frequency is probably bad.

But, once the candle is blown, the singing is done, cake is cut, a customary piece given to someone, the rot sets in.

There is one entity in each group who considers himself/herself the champion cake "smearer". He (quite often it is a she, but for typing convenience, I am going to stick with only a he) uses his hands, takes a good piece of the cake and simply smashes it on the "birthday baby". He is of course helped by a couple of friends who restrain the recipients movements, thereby ensuring that a pukka job is done.

Needless to say, quite a bit of the cake is wasted.

All things said and done, there are quite a lot of people on this planet who simply cannot afford even one square meal a day. And here we are, wasting what is a perfectly edible and consumable cake. As should be evident from my shape, I do not like to waste food. Any food that comes to my plate is invariably sent into my food pipe. Unless I am ill or the food is absolutely unpalatable, I never ever waste food.

But, here are people who for absolutely no reason waste food. All for 5 minutes of "fun". And the ironic part is that, these are the very folks, who after returning to their seats, will be forwarding emails that talk a lot about how one can contribute to the improvement of the society. There is this specific email that keeps getting delivered to every mailbox every 3 months (for the past 3 years). Its a collection of 'pictures of the year' (Its a different matter that the same pictures have been awarded pictures of the year, 3 years in a row). There is this really haunting picture of a scrawny Somalian kid searching for food near a garbage dump and a vulture sitting in the vicinity.

Why do they send those emails and also step out and waste at least 300 gms of cake in the name of fun? And why do they also complain like old hags about how everything in life is so unjust?

At least, when I was participating in this revelry, I didn't indulge in hypocrisy. Probably that's because I am blessed with a brain and a heart!