Yesterday was "grocery day" and I found myself thinking about my childhood in Denmark, and how "Going to the Shops" was typically something we did maybe twice a week.
Another aspect of grocery shopping — back then — was that you pretty got what was there, as opposed to necessarily what you wanted. If you wanted something specific, the only real way to make sure it would be there was to place an order with the grocer or shopkeeper.
In Praise of Planning Ahead
So here we are in the year 2020, after decades of (mostly) never having to do that thing called "planning ahead," when it comes to grocery shopping.
We talk about the ways schools are no longer teaching our kids critical thinking, but — as I stood over the somewhat picked-over meat counters — modern society is also aiding that particular bit of evolution in adults by creating a lifestyle that doesn't require us to think ahead.
Pretty much everything — from groceries to books to movies — is "on demand," these days.
Meanwhile, I'm standing in the supermarket, making seven dinners... in my head. From scratch.
As I looked around, I suddenly understood why it is all the ready-made packaged food that is sold out, while we still have pretty wide choices when it comes to buying fresh food you have to cook, yourself.
Comments of the Times
As some of you know, I have tens of thousands of articles and blog posts scattered around the 3xdubya.
Although much of this is ostensibly "evergreen" content, I also notice trends... particularly in the sorts of comments I get.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have received no less than FOUR new comments on various articles I wrote on Stamp Collecting, mostly more than a decade ago... people suddenly thanking me for information on a topic (hobby) that started dying a couple of decades ago...
... and now it seems some folks are thinking along the lines of "Well, since I'm going to be stuck in the house, I think I'll look for my childhood stamp collection and take that up again."
Which would make total sense (since people can easily buy and trade stamps by mail, without leaving the house) and be kind of cool since old stamps for collectors has been one of my microbusinesses since the mid-1980's.
Cabin Fever and Flies in a Bottle
It is interesting — and perhaps a little alarming — how many people are already growing bored with being confined to home... and are starting to buzz around like flies in a bottle.
Although I have to confess that I am also buzzing around, in my case it is not from a lack of things to, but from having more to do than I have time to do it.
It makes me wonder whether one of the other "side effects" of our modern lives is that we have forgotten how to entertain ourselves, at home. At times, it feels like a lot of people have.
And with that thought, I'm going to start buzzing through my day.
Thanks for reading, and stay healthy!
Are YOU getting cabin fever? Or do you have plenty to do? How are you passing the time, these days? Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!
(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for this platform.)
Created at 20200330 09:46 PDT
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