The world feels a very sad place right now. I think with my job being in the most rural part of the area I live in I have been a little sheltered. I very rarely go into town, I don't like shopping and prefer to stay in the village I live. So I was a little shocked when I went to the supermarket early on Saturday morning. Of course, I had seen social media posts about the state of the shops, the lack of food, but I honestly thought it was an exaggeration. Hence standing in a supermarket at 7am holding back the tears. I'ma monthly shopper usually so as it's heading towards the end of the month and knowing the virus is getting worse in my area I transferred some of my savings to get some shopping in. Not hoarding/panic shop. Just food we need kind of a shop. So to get to the shop that early and see aisles and aisles of bare shelves just made me realise just what a situation we are in. It's real. Basic, cupboard foods are gone. I have food intolerances so what was there, I can't eat.
This is the shopping from the first supermarket. As you can see most of what I have there contains milk. I can't eat it but my children can. So had a very small amount of food for them. I started to panic when I realised this was all I could buy, and nearly cried, a lady saw me and just stood chatting to me for a little about anythign and nothing and I managed to calm down. If she had realised how upset/ concerned I was feeling at that point then it was lovely of her to take time out of her day to help me. If she didn't still very lovely to see some human kindness in the midst of the madness.
I then went across the road to the other supermarket:
A few more bits, more that I can eat and bits to make some meals with using the ingredients I have in the cupboards at home (tin toms etc). This really made me think, and worry, though about others. I am fairly young, I am fit and able, I have a car and more importantly right now a stable job.This shopping, tiny amount though it is, cost more than I would usually spend on a weekly amount of food. How on earth are others who are not in my position able to get food. The bits I have bought are of a higher price than I would usually buy (apart from those cheap, gross noodles in the first picture. My children love them. That's the teens lunch on the two days a week I am in work!)
People get a grip- stop the panic buying and think of others. There is plenty of food in the country, if you stop being selfish about it. I saw a man when out walking the dog, he drives the big trucks for the supermarkets. he said there is loads of food in the warehouse types places (I forget the real word!) but they can't get it to the supermarkets quick enough due to the way people are shopping. Even at Christmas, or when it snows I have never seen the shops look as crazy as they do right now. I get it, you're scared, we are all scared. But the actions of a few are being really detrimental to many.
Stay home, wash your hands loads, and only buy what you are truly going to use. Then we can all get through this.
