The burden of rotting fruit

In my fridge right now, getting overripe, are:

2 pounds large globe grapes
3 peaches
1 striped melon
1 big artichoke
1/2 avocado
1/2 tomato

I brought one of the peaches to work today, and it was mealy. The other day, I had two bananas that were getting abominably brown so I peeled them and put them in the freezer.

I am always attracted to nice-looking fruit in the market and end up buying a lot of it. But it's like this weight on my shoulders to have fruit in the house that's not getting eaten. A person can only eat so much of it.

Which brings me to another thought. One of my big rants is about how a lot of low-income people tend to stock up on food that is very processed and unhealthy, just because it's cheaper and lasts longer. Hot dogs vs. fresh meat. Frito chips vs. corn on the cob. A frozen pizza vs. bread/cheese/tomatoes. Which can lead to fat or frail kids, higher medical bills, and a tradition of junk-food eating (or at least, not-really-fresh cooking) that gets passed down from generation to generation.

How very fortunate I am to be able to buy and cook and eat, and even waste, perishable foods.