ARE YOU IMPULSIVE, insecure and maybe even a little paranoid?
Did you go grocery shopping earlier this week, even though you have a well-stocked kitchen and pantry at home?
Did you buy so much of a particular product that you won’t run out for weeks or even months?
Then do I have a deal for you! Keep listening and I’ll be back with that offer.
In the meantime, let’s talk about what happened.
A massive rainstorm and flood event cut off a whole host of our major highways and rail lines to the south and west.
Remember, highways and rail lines to the north and east, the origin of a lot of our goods, were not affected by the storm.
The storm resulted in Merritt being forced to evacuate because its water and sewer infrastructure could no longer serve the community.
The scope of the disaster is even greater in the Fraser Valley.
In Kamloops, many of us stepped up to help our neighbours in need.
But a number of us went straight to the grocery store to play Hungry Hungry Hippos.
That led others to start overreacting, spurred by the thought that the greedy few at the beginning wouldn’t leave anything for everyone else.
It was an unfortunate catch-22 of panic buying leading to more panic buying.
If we had taken a moment to listen to those who know about how supply chains work, we would have been far less impulsive.
When there are people crying out to buy things, there will always be someone willing to sell things. It’s the hallmark of capitalism.
Instead, many of us are left with 10 giant-sized packages of toilet paper when we only really need one.
But it’s okay! Remember that deal I was mentioning? Here it is!
You can donate your excess!
Donate it to the Kamloops Food Bank. Donate it to the Mustard Seed or another social agency. Organize a donation drive for displaced Merritt residents.
You don’t need to keep those panic-bought items. You will be able to fill your pantries when they get empty.
Some generosity at the end of the week would quickly undo the selfishness of the beginning.
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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.
