To hoarde or not to hoarde
I went to Costco yesterday. I had my N95 mask and rubber gloves. I wanted to get power greens for my smoothies. I got a list of needs from a neighbor and also wanted to get power greens for another friend.
On the drive over to New Orleans, I felt a touch of apprehension about going to Costco but last week when I was there it was virtually empty. I let it go and felt comfort in having a mask and gloves.
Then I arrived and saw the line going out into the parking lot. People standing 6 feet apart with masks and gloves. I left.
I went to Whole Foods. There was a line there last week, but this week nothing. I got bananas, power greens, chips, and most of the items for my neighbor. Nearly all of the people there had on masks and gloves, but a few didn’t.
When I got home and put my bags on the kitchen table I had an incredible feeling of remorse. I didn’t need any of it. Yes, I wanted to have a menu plan for the week since I will be making breakfast, lunch and dinner on the daily. But we still don’t need any of it.
Spending money to buy more food while we are not turning on the a/c, using gas or water frivolously, and conserving other resources makes absolutely no sense. It seems to belong to a pre-pandemic state of mind where a stocked refrigerator equals security. There was more risked walking in a Whole Foods than an empty shelf in the fridge.
The pandemic has already affected how I value time. I need to let it reset my expectations of what is enough food and what is hoarding.
