Like a Punch in the Face
Cali and I had a verbal exchange the other day that hit me like a punch in the face. It wasn’t an argument, domestic dispute, or anything of that nature, but rather something that really just made me pause and take inventory of all of the things for which I should be grateful on a daily basis. Now, I want to clarify something before going any further because I worry that this whole post is going to come across like I’m bragging or just a giant douche in general. Cali and I are not monetarily rich by any stretch of the imagination, but we are solidly middle class. Much like George Costanza’s pick for the Susan Ross scholarship, we’re right in the meaty part of the curve; not showing off, not falling behind. We got that way because we had every advantage in life from an early age, grew up in wonderfully stable homes, and then worked hard and were willing to move across the country for jobs multiple times to land where we are right now.
During a normal week, I make the Costco grocery run for bulk items and Cali picks up everything else we need from Wegman’s, an awesome chain of grocery stores up here in the northeast. Cali’s work has been disrupted a bit by the whole COVID-19 fiasco, so she’s been doing all the grocery shopping the past few weeks. A few days ago, we were standing in the kitchen chatting while Cali put away the Wegman’s haul. She had gotten a big container of salsa that was the same brand as the one I usually buy at Costco.
Cali: I never knew it but they have this salsa at Wegman’s too. How much does it cost at Costco?
Me: I don’t know. I don’t look at the prices of anything I buy when I go there.
Pow! Boom! Kablam!
Cali and I both kind of just stopped and looked at each other, both thinking the same thing. We live in a country where food is plentiful and we both have jobs that allow us to go buy whatever food we need without having to think about the price or whether or not we can afford it. I’m embarrassed to say that this is something I take for granted all too often. Life just gets busy and my weekly Costco run is just part of the routine. Rarely do I just pause and have grateful thoughts about our situation. That needs to change.
This COVID-19 pandemic is a total disaster for countless people around the world. Here in America, millions of people have lost their source of income and are fearful of how they will make ends meet in the coming weeks and months. Our government passed a stimulus package that is going to send money out to most everyone in the country, and Cali and I are planning on doing something positive with our check. The goal is to help someone or some family that needs this money a lot more than we do. We are not completely certain how we are going to do this yet, but we’ll figure it out in the next few weeks. Please know that I am not telling you what we plan to do with this money to advertise or virtue signal that we’re doing something charitable. I am saying that this pandemic has reminded me to be grateful for all that I have and to help others out when given the chance. One has to wonder how different the world would be if we all lived like that all the time.