Food Supply Challenges During Coronavirus Pandemic

Reality kicks in when routine is challenged.  My routine is to shop once a week.  I create a grocery list as I run out of things and at the end of the week, I shop.  It is truly a humble experience, when things don't work out as you plan.  This means you lose a little control.  It's tough to lose control over your necessities in life.  Once this pandemic is over, I'm sure that we will all appreciate having what we need so readily available.

I'll admit that I rarely watch the news.  I find it depressing.  I prefer to read the news, because I can glance at what I want to read versus watching depressing story after sad story shown to me on t.v.  I didn't find out about the recommendation to stay at home until a few days after it was stated.  I found out by reading one of my favorite reality stars Instagram page.  He actually showed pictures of a grocery store that had so many empty shelves.  

It was a busy week for me, so I wasn't able to go to the store until a couple of days later.  Then I discovered the sad truth, not only was his pictures a reality, it was like everyone was in panic mode.  The toilet paper, water, and protein (meat and poultry) were hit the hardest.  I was shocked when I went to the grocery store and Walmart.  Walmart was in the worst condition.  I couldn't find water, nor toilet paper, nor frozen chicken.  In fact, the store didn't have that many customers for it to be a Saturday.  

One guy even joked with me as we both found a few boxes of tissue paper (Kleenex).  He said, I'm not going to fight you for it.  He was joking when he said it.  It was something that was happening in stories in the news.  People actually fighting over grocery items.  We both laughed when he said it.  There were six tissue boxes remaining, and I made it to the cardboard box that stored the tissues first.  He only grabbed one of them.  I decided to take four and said to him, I left another one for you, in case you need it.  We both laughed.  

While sharing light humor about the situation helps, it broke my heart when only a week later, I went to a grocery store and it was pretty much desolate when it came to (toilet paper, meat, poultry, water, and eggs).  None to be found anywhere at this popular grocery store.  I risked going out to shop when the recommendation is to stay home.  The entire week, I tried to order my groceries online, but the app for each store I checked wouldn't allow me to schedule delivery.  I tried to schedule anything from any of the local few stores.  I was willing to pay the higher prices and the $10 delivery fee.  Nothing was available.  So I'm almost out of bottled water, and I'm blessed to have enough protein to last for about a week and a half.  While I was out today, I was able to purchase more fruit, frozen fries, lettuce and juice.  Hopefully, this will give me enough time to order delivery in about a week and a half.

This experience is a great one, and I will never forget it.  I am so thankful for what I do have, and I have decided to focus on that, instead of focusing on what I don't have.  I have also come to the conclusion that I can buy a water filter to help purify my water or boil it.  Here is an interesting story to help you learn how to purify your water.  

If you have any tips that you would like to share with the community, please comment below.

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