For the past year we’ve been told we’re all making huge sacrifices and are in a similar situation as those at war.  I was raised by people who lived through the second world war and I have to say, I’m not understanding that analogy at all.  When my grandparents talked about bombs falling on them, the race to the bomb shelter and the lack of food, none of that reminds me of the past year here in Kelowna.

Because I love hanging around at home I’ve barely noticed anything different going on, so if this is war, I’ll take it.  It’s politically incorrect to point out the odds of catching Covid are extremely low, so I would just say our chances of staying alive compared to those in a country at war are pretty good.

And when we hear about “all the sacrifices we’ve made” I beg people to question if that’s true.  We know healthcare workers, grocery store clerks, bus drivers and many others have made sacrifices given their exposure to the virus, however the rest of us have gone on living pretty trouble-free lives.

Pity the poor woman stuck at home with an imbecile who beats her up, kids who only eat if schools are open, or who can’t get home schooled due to lack of Internet access.  Think of the retail store or restaurant owners who put their entire life savings into the business only to see it closed and then fail entirely.

I’m just suggesting a bit of gratitude would go a long way at this point in time.  So while we’re told there’s pent-up demand for buying stuff, why not give that money to charities who can do something good with it?  As you may have guessed, I’m a monthly contributor to the SPCA and whenever there’s a huge dog seizure and they need extra money for the poor animals, I send it.

Here’s what can put a person off giving.  I was putting my cart away at Superstore when a young man around 20 years of age approached me and I said to him, “Do you want money?”  He looked terrible, and so I asked if he had a place to live and he said he did.

I opened my wallet and unzipped the coin compartment and grabbed all the change in there, which was maybe three toonies, a couple of loonies and some other change, so maybe around $8.00 to $10.00 in total.  Unfortunately the bill compartment was visible to the kid, who said “Can you give me a twenty?”

I said “no, I can’t, sorry.”  I thought wow, that’s a true millennial for ya, eh?  I don’t want to disparage them, however I have two of my very own so I’m familiar with their modus operandi.  It usually involves some type of an attack on Boomers and all the mess we’ve made of everything, including the price of houses.  It ends when I shrug and walk away.

I did spend money on a new fridge as the one I have requires a bowl to catch the water that drips out of the freezer, so I feel it’s okay to get a new one.  Meat tastes a bit funky given I don’t think it’s ever solidly frozen, so it’ll be a treat not to risk salmonella at every meal.

So maybe I am at war, only with the junk that I own.