Hayter
article for March 22, 2020
Purchasing
Probs
I know the question that is
plaguing you. Do I buy the 4.5-gallon jug of soybean cooking oil at Sam’s, or
wait for the 48-ounce jar of Canola Oil to magically reappear at HEB or Kroger?
In other words, when will normalcy return?
Yesterday, I bought a 35-pound jug
of cooking oil made from soybeans, In doing so, I ended, for the foreseeable
future, any demand I might have for cooking oil. Would that all of us did that.
Too many people continue to demand stuff that they already have in abundance.
These people are genetically tied to my sister-in-law. That girl has no place
to put any more toilet paper. Yet, if she sees some on a shelf, she will stock
up again, and again, and--
Dardon Ann and Dennis have a garage
full of hand sanitizer. Yet, if she finds some on a shelf at Walmart, she’ll
fill a cart. It’s people like this who keep the demand for “necessities”
spiraling upward. Some people consider it a form of mental illness. Others link
it to those who lived during the Great Depression. My sister-in-law's folks did
live during the depression, and they ended up being hoarders. My mother-in-law
was a child of the Great Depression and she was a hoarder.
My mom and dad were young adults
during the Great Depression, and they came out perfectly sane. Dad was the son
of a sharecropper. He was as poor as Job’s turkey. Turkey aside, neither my mom
or dad became hoarders. We never saved popsicle sticks or the cardboard toilet
paper inserts, empty toothpaste tubes, or clothing stored in mothballed trunks.
The thing that causes people to
hoard and panic-buy, has nothing to do with memories of the Great Depression.
It has everything to do with DNA. My sister-in-law is wired to one weird group
of people. Fortunately, Kay has more of her Dad’s DNA. I wouldn’t have married
her otherwise. I loved Kay’s mom. I just couldn’t be with her very long,
without developing a stutter.
What we need to do during these
times is to follow the tradition of our forefathers, who, during the American
Revolution raised a yellow flag with the image of a curled up rattlesnake on
it. Printed below the image were the words “Don’t Tread on Me.” Let us put
those words too good use during our next shopping adventure.
Whatever you do, don’t try to heed
the words written on a flag displayed during our Texas Revolution. It had the
picture of a cannon on it. Below it were the words “Come and Take It!” That was
a good thing to say back during the dark times of our State’s struggle with
Mexico. But it does not apply today. Right now, we should not take anything we
don’t need. If you don’t need a product that is being rationed, don’t “come and
take it.” That would be selfish. And when you do enter a grocery store, try not
to tread on anyone.
Besides all of that, let us seek the
good things that are happening. Traffic is not nearly as much of a problem
today. I just got back from seeing someone at the sleep clinic in The
Woodlands. The traffic to and from was sparse. Nothing like in North Korea
where there are only 14 cars in the entire country. There was traffic in The
Woodlands, but it was in no way bothersome. It’s not much of problem in Conroe,
either. You seldom hear a horn honking or see anyone gesture rudely. And, while
driving, I find that I don’t talk to myself as much.
As for the sleep doctor’s place, the
nurse at the sliding window had to take my temperature with one of those PEZ
dispenser thermometers. And she read me a list of questions that included
whether or not I had traveled to China, Italy, France, or Oklahoma. I think it
was Oklahoma. Did I have a cough? Had I slept with someone who did have a
cough? Was I out of toilet paper?” In other words, the questions were down to
earth.
It’s such a good thing that people
are checking on us. It’s also good that some people are being allowed to work
out of their homes. Jill works for San Jacinto College, and they have allowed
her to clock-in on her home computer. After that, she does whatever it is she did on campus. My niece, Debra,
works for NASA, and since she’s not directly involved with the International
Space Station, she also gets to work at home using her computer. Could this
possibly catch on even after the virus has receded?
I’m retired, so I too work at home.
And, it’s going well. Kay has yet to tread on me. And, I also find that I enjoy
staying home. I do miss the people at church. They all love Kay, and two or
three of them seem to tolerate me. That’s always a good sign.
All in all, we’re living in a weird
time. A German Philosopher named Nietzsche once wrote: “What doesn’t kill us
makes us strong.” It’s hard to believe he got famous with words like that. A
lot of stuff that doesn’t kill you will slow you down to a crawl. If power
steering was eliminated, the result would not make me stronger. I’d just have
to use both hands to turn a corner. Nietzsche, who died in 1900, never thought
of stuff like that.
Instead of looking forward to
getting tougher, I’m thinking of the good ol’ days. And will continue until
they return. If they don’t, we’ll have to invent a flag with a great slogan. Something
like -- “Be Nice.” Many of you are already nice as all get out. People have
noticed it, too. Truth be told, you’re example is much more effective than any
flag. You give hope to us all.
end
hayter.mark@gmail.com
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