Sad morning grocery shopping

[Colleen A.]

Usually, when I run to the grocery store after taking my daughter to school (9am), the store is pretty much deserted. When I pulled into the lot today, I was shocked to see all the cars! My first impression was it was people getting a jump start on the shoppind due to a weekend forecast full of snow . As I walked in, I immediately noticed a large number of school aged children shopping with their parents. Then, I could not help notice all the shopping carts filled with bottled water and canned goods. It dawned on me that these people were shopping for the "what if"..... I could hear many of the conversations as I walked down the aisles....2 of which really shook me. The first was of 2 old women, maybe in the 80's, talking about how scared they were. The next one about broke my heart. A father was shopping with his son, maybe about 3 or 4. As the man is putting maybe a dozen gallons of bottled water into the shopping cart, the little boy says, in an urgent tone of voice, "Daddy, don't forget the duct tape!"

What has happened to us? What is going to happen? I think the best ALL of us can do is get down on our knees and pray to God, Allah, Buhdda, or whoever you feel in your heart has placed us on this planet. Pray that mankind doesn't hate each other enough to destroy us all........

 

[SeaSpray]

That really is sad, Colleen DH and I try our best to keep up with the news, but we definitely don't discuss some of deepest concerns with, or in front of, our DSs. They're old enough to realize what's going on in the world, but when a child sees fear in their parents, it can be much more frightening for them, than what we intend for them to feel.

Hopefully the little boy who reminded his dad to buy the duct tape was merely reminding him because he had mentioned it, along with other items they were buying at the store, and not because the father had gone into detail about exactly why they might need it.

I feel we should all be prepared, in the same way we might prepare for a hurricane or natural disaster. But beyond that, there is nothing more we can do.

Not to get overly religious here or anything, but I have a close relationship with God, and from what I've read and learned from the bible, I have a happy outlook for the future

 

[Luckymommyx2]

I'm just getting ready to head out to the grocery store to stock up on esentials for this snow they're forecasting. I was wondering what I may encounter. Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[mamajoan]

oh Colleen that just makes me so sad... I don't know how it is down in S.Ca.. but up here where I live people just don't seem as worried as all of you on the East Coast. For you 9/11 is at your backdoor. Or like the folks in D.C. you experience the visibility of our nation preparing for an attack on the capitol..it all seems so imminent for you all.

I agree that the power of prayer may save us.

 

[minniecarousel]

Sounds like some areas of the country are giving in to the media "mass hysteria." Maybe I'm not concerned enough. But this sounds over-board. Maybe some people need to turn off their TVs for a few hours a day.

 

[December99]

That IS sad Colleen. DD was talking about this last night as they talked about in school yesterday - they are 7th graders so it didn't bother me at all. She said that there were kids that were "freaked out" about this and really worried. She said she told them that it doesn't pay to worry and she's not going to worry about it. I do have to say - I'm very proud of her. I haven't worried much either but dh and I have talked about getting things in an area of the basement for "just in case" becuase we are not far from a nuclear facility (actually not far from several) but I do have to say - I'm going overboard. We camp and so we have alot of stuff that can help us get by in case the electricity or gas is unavailable. We are just making sure we have plenty of stuff to keep that stuff going. We are also fortunate that we have a full bathroom in our basement to use in case we need to stay down there for any reason.

But it is sad that this is how we have to avert our lives for the next few days, weeks, months.

 

[grinningghost]

That is sad. East Coast, West Coast or middle of the country - we're all in this together.

 

[Serena]

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

minniecarousel, I don't think one needs to be watching TV 24/7 to feel the impact of the warnings of terrorist threats. And it's not like we haven't experienced a pretty horrific terrorist attack in the past, i.e. 9/11. Choose to do what you want, but give people some credit for making choices that don't amount to "mass hysteria"...maybe it's just a matter of "why not...it can't hurt...and just MIGHT help."

I just got back from BJs myself, and was surprised by how few people were there. I thought there might not be any more bottled water, but there was plenty. I stocked up on water and canned goods (as well as the usual items I'd buy at BJs for RL)...the types of things everyone SHOULD have on hand...just in case of WEATHER issues, if nothing else. I've experienced a hurricane where we lost power for 6 days as well as the Blizzard of '78, and yet we never made sure we were prepared; I figure now is as good a time as any.

I DO think that being on the East Coast is a little scarier. 9/11 affected everyone, and was an attack on our country as a whole...but I live in RI, and those hijacked planes flew from Boston to New York/Washington DC...a little too close to home. I can't even begin to imagine tho, what those actually in NY and Washington DC experienced then or now, and if they...or anyone else in this country...feels better stocking up on duct tape and plastic, I'm not about to be critical of their decisions.

On the one hand, this is all very scary. On the other, we feel so safe in this country...an attack the proportions of 9/11 was basically an isolated incident. It's hard to know which way to go on this. So, I'm choosing to be as prepared as we can possibly be...while at the same time, my DD will be going to her babysitting job today, my other DD will be going to soccer school and the school dance this weekend, and my husband will be going on an ice fishing trip. No "mass hysteria"...just real life, mixed in with some caution and preparation...and whatever will happen will happen.

Take care everyone.

 

[Cindy B]

I remember being in the grocery store in the morning of 9/11-- before the fourth plane.. but after the towers fell... and I saw many people buying toilet paper, bottled water, canned goods then...

The one thing i remember about that was.. my DD singing at the top of her lungs in the store.. You are my sunshine....


Honestly, why would terrorists attack when we are all "ready and prepared" for them? That is what the whole base of 9/11 waws.. who knew on a Tuesday morning what would happen.. and it was in the planning for what , 2, 3 years? .. who is to say that "this" attack won't happen for another 2 or three years...
(If it even happens at all)

Are we going to duct tape our windows for three years? Buy canned goods for years and years? ...

The media is oversesationalizing everything...

 

[Luckymommyx2]

Well I'm back from the grocery store. I had to park further than any other time I went. It was crazy! There were less than 10 bottles of water left so I only took two. I talked to the cashier at check-out and she said it was like this all day--partly because of the storm and partly because of the fear of something happening. We are expecting to get a lot of ice and snow this weekend so I would like to think that I'm preparing for the storm. All I need to do now is fill my empty gas cans with kerosene for my heater. We're always the first to lose power!