T.P. or Not T.P.

T.P. or Not T.P.

Corona, mmm, I've always been more of a Sailing’ with the Captain’ kind of girl myself, yet more so in these middle-aged years that I’m in now. I have found that a nice glass of Chardonnay, Pinot, or Cabernet seems to be more socially acceptable for a woman of my ripe “old age” of forty-six to be drinking. Regardless, someone always has some critical thing to say about someone else. One cannot seem to mind their own business, until their own business is threatened. Which really has no precedence, in the subject at hand, I suppose. The focus right now is on this Corona, and actually not the beer but the virus sweeping over the world, crippling not just its victims but the organized, foreseeing governments of the world. The fact is no matter how well prepared, each infected country felt, announced, and presented, themselves to be for a doomsday, they were not.

Although I found it somewhat comforting, knowing, I resided in the very last state to have a confirmed case. Then contrarily, I became unnerved, distressed, and concerned over the behavior of my fellow Mountaineers. Quite frankly in an instant, I went from being proud to ashamed. In the blink of an eye our people became acclimated to the panic and behaviors of others reported on the news. So why should this upset me so much, simply because my neighbors have resorted to mimicking the rest of the world, instead of upholding the compassion and values that we have always claimed and boasted so prideful over? I answer, because we are a state with an aging population, who for the most part live in rural areas, with lower incomes, but we have always shown respect, shared our last dollar, and all came together to help thy neighbor.

 Now, I watch people physically fighting over food and toilet paper, on the news and in the stores, even right here in ‘Almost Heaven, West Virginia’! The shelves are empty, raided and ravaged so hard not even a speck of dust is left. Does one family really need twenty cases of toilet paper, every bag of dog food, every paper towel, and every baby wipe? All the frozen pizzas are gone, bread is null, cereal is limited, milk is scarce, however there is plenty of fresh produce.

I rush through the aisles as they keep announcing over the intercom, we have forty minutes, thirty minutes, etc. until the registers are shut down. I scurry about the store, forced under the time restraints, to behave as a selfish, hungry rat, just as my adult counterparts clearly have already done, just to ensure I find food to feed my own family and kids for the week. When you are a lower income family, you only have enough money to purchase x amount of supplies including food, for a short time. The curse of living paycheck to paycheck.

I look upon the shelves, all of the flour is gone, there are two small boxes of Bisquick left. I grab them both wrapped up in a moment of the panic. My mom and dad in the back of my mind, because I have been trying to cook for them once in a while to ease their burden, through aging illnesses. I continue to scramble, racing not just against other shoppers but the ticking time clock in the form of a man’s voice, computerized, dehumanized, over the intercom, “We will be closing the registers in fifteen minutes”. I try to be considerate of not just my neighbors by not becoming a hoarder, but also realizing that I am having to spend last month’s house payment just to make sure my kids have food for the next couple weeks, not months, but a couple of weeks. Then I actually feel guilty for grabbing that second box of Bisquick, despite it being small, I put one back. Thinking if it is still on the shelf for one single mom or one elder of our community, then I can figure out another way to subsidize what I could have created from it, with hopes that this small gesture would, could help someone else.

My buggy, yes in West Virginia, we call them buggies, ha ha. My buggy full, not with excessive purchases but simple basics. I had deodorant, milk, some fresh produce that had been ignored, one box of cereal, one case of pop, one box of tea bags, one bag of frozen chicken, three frozen pizzas, one pack of hamburger, etc., oh and of course one small box of Bisquick, you get the picture. The toilet paper aisle was bare. I did purchase one pack of two rolls of paper towels, just in case we had no other option.

Up to this point I can honestly say I have been pretty lax with all that was going on. Despite the fact that I have been sick for the last three to four weeks. I have been given antibiotics, cough meds, an inhaler, a second dose of antibiotics, steroids, and finally sent home with a nebulizer, and I’m still not fully recovered. My friends and family questioning me if I have the Corona, have I asked to be tested, etc.? I have had to postpone my new job twice, and now I believe the entire place is now on shut down. So, all that I had spent with the anticipation of starting a new job, well I am now behind. All that being said I had still not gone into a frantic panic, because I believe in us, as Americans, and as Mountaineers! Until this night, pretty much my first time out since I had been sick, unfortunately also coincided in the midst of panicked shoppers and desperate hoarders.

 Now I am worried! Not just for me and my family, because I am strong, I am creative, I am resourceful and currently working on mysterious, confidential backup plans. Yet, now I have to ask myself the 2020, million-dollar question … Now that last month’s house payment is gone, do I now move into spending the car payment, insurance, electric bill, to cover gas to go store-hopping every day in search of toilet paper, pet food and cleaning supplies? Do I fall into the savage mentality and physically fight, if need be? Do I become a hunter of paper, a selfish, narcissist, a toilet paper caper? If I do manage to strike gold, as in many rolls, do I then become a hoarder? I’m watching the last of my cash plummeting into the depths of hell, just as the stock market has. Will the boyfriend prevail, the ex come through, will our President post my bail?

Maybe I should turn to nature and just learn to leave leaves of three be, drip dry, shred old rags and t’s, wash and rewash. I suppose if we get very desperate, we can start stocking up on Maxi-Pads, Depends, etc. Heck, why not go ahead and start buying diapers, the baby wipes are gone now anyway, and those diapers absorb it all! Awe, naw, babies need the diapers, elders need the Depends, girls/women need the menstrual products. Right? So come on peeps, I hope you won't be running around our mountains wearing diapers, Depends, and Maxi-Pads, just as I hope you won’t allow our fellow Mountaineers to go without because you panicked!

What’s worse, is that the stores will not allow people to return items. Yes, I was told that firsthand by the manager at Kroger’s here in West Virginia. She said that produce and meat can be returned, but they will not accept returns on items such as can foods, boxed foods, etc. She said it was due to people hoarding then realizing they didn’t need all of it. Okay, so if they were trying to return items that could help someone else, why wouldn’t you let them? In addition, why would you allow returns on things such as fresh meats? That’s insane!

So, to answer my own question, do I continue to spend the money intended for bills to search for toilet paper and other items that I may or may not run out of? No, I will not be that person, yes I may regret my choice later but for now I am setting an example, being the person that I wish not just my neighbors would be but how I wish to see my children behave. Time to get back to our roots: respect, compassion, and values of helping thy neighbor. Come on peeps this goes way deeper than toilet paper, it is not just, T.P. or not T.P.!