Will Rice and Beans Save Me?

Waiting for quarantine in a time of uncertainty.

Photo by on

I cleaned out the cabinet where I’ve been stashing the wood plates we don’t use but I’m not willing to get rid of. They were a wedding gift from back when I thought wooden dinner plates were a good idea. I use them as serving trays sometimes now and, anyway, they’re in a closet now. The cabinet has become a pantry.

We filled it with what we could think of: dried things — rice, beans, pasta — , cereal, canned tomatoes, coconut milk. Modern design didn’t envision bomb shelters, so shelf space is limited. The freezer’s getting full, too.

What are we trying to do? Are we trying to ensure that we’ll have enough nutrition to survive two weeks in our house? And why do we keep saying two weeks? That’s how long you’re told to self isolate so you don’t pass the illness onto others if you’ve been exposed. But if the virus runs rampant, will two weeks cut it? Or are we all going to be in our houses for much longer?

People are mocking panic buying. “What do you think you need all that toilet paper for?” I don’t know. I need it routinely, every day of my life. If it stops getting made, or shipped, or stocked, I’d like to have some. For two weeks, anyway.