I was in Publix the other day and it hit me. We’re in such a new time. A time when picking up a basket could mean bringing home a deadly virus. A time when shopping carts are full of germs. Maybe they’ve always been full of germs. But, now, the first thought upon entering a supermarket isn’t, “Did I remember my shopping list?” It’s, “I hope they have Lysol wipes to disinfect the cart.”
Right then and there I vowed to carry everything in my arms. Did I say carry? I must’ve meant juggle. Because that’s exactly what happened. Trying to balance milk, bread, eggs, coffee and wine (you know, the essentials) in one arm and yogurt, Gatorade, granola bars and chicken nuggets (the kids’ definition of essentials) in the other arm had me feeling like an awkward, untrained jester in front of Her Majesty The Queen for the first time.
Now, I will do what the smart, sanitized people do. I won’t be disappointed when Winn-Dixie doesn’t have available Lysol next to the sliding entrance doors. Nor will I rely on Wal-Mart to clean, disinfect and sanitize the carts and baskets. I will load up my canvas shopping bags with everything I need. I’ll unload them at the register and repack them myself once they’re rung up.
I don’t want to bring those germs home to my family. My husband and my children want to give Grandma a hug. I want to spend time with my dad - for years to come!
I will do my part, however small and insignificant it may seem to everyone else. I want the world to get back to normal. A place where kids complain about going to school, where date nights at a local restaurant, and Saturdays on Daytona Beach Shores exist. Vacations, reunions and holidays are spent with family without fear of coming within six feet. After all, these little things, like bringing our own shopping bags, add up to big things when we all do them.