We Will Get Through This

A voice called in the wilderness of Costco’s shopping carts: “Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your organization. We will get through this.”

She directed everyone into organized lines. The woman’s voice and leadership helped calm what could have been an ugly situation.

Through her persistent authoritative direction the line of customers moved to the aisle where two men quickly tossed one package of toilet paper and one of paper towels to each shopper. From there customers walked past the bottled water.

The scene reminded me of something.

I was just a kid when Johnny Carson started a rumor on his show about a toilet paper shortage. It exploded into hysteria. People emptied shelves in every store.

We, the people actually created the shortage by buying baskets full of T.P.

One day I went shopping with Mom at a large drugstore chain. The store had created a square tower of toilet paper, approximately 15 feet tall by 15 feet wide by 15 feet deep. Plastered on the front of the display a huge hand-made sign read: “There is NO toilet paper shortage!”

The memory still makes me laugh.

The job of the news media is to sell news. They must obtain viewers and readers so advertisers will buy advertising on their station or paper or magazine.

A crisis sells news.

The national news has been and is selling crisis. That. Isn’t. Funny.

Even some local news agencies added to the chaos. Those shopping cart lines at Costco and other stores happened the morning after at least one station recommended people buy toilet paper, water, etc….”

So, what is a thinking person to do?

Keep Your Head
1. Remain calm. Worry and fear keep us from thinking clearly.
2. Disengage from emotional or brain stem thinking like an animal. Animals turn to fight or flight.
3. Logical reasoning occurs when we are calm. Let’s engage our brain’s frontal lobe.
4. No true shortage exists unless we, the people help create it.
5. We are Americans. We can get through this.

Until next time . . . Travel Light,
SuZan