I thought I would talk a bit about how we’re coping with the recent coronavirus crisis that is affecting pretty much the whole world by now.
Truth be told, we haven’t had to make any dramatic changes. We work from home, live in a pretty quiet town, don’t travel, and aren’t keen on places with large crowds. So statistically we already have a pretty good advantage.
We do make a conscious effort these days to avoid crowded places if at all possible. For instance, recently I had an acute earache. Normally I would pop in to see our family doctor right away, but at this time I decided to wait it out, and sure enough, it passed in 24 hours and I saved myself a trip to the clinic where I might have come in contact with sick people – and even if you catch something other than the coronavirus, it still takes a toll on your immune system, which is the last thing you need right now.
I did take a bus to town to buy some yarn the other day, but I think it’s the last time in a while I will do that. Why risk it?
Our stockpile is in a pretty good condition too – while I’m not an advocate of panic buying, it’s always wiser to have one’s shelves full rather than empty. Prices fluctuate and if you can get a good deal on something that won’t spoil, like toilet paper, dish soap, or even dry legumes, why not? You’ll be glad you grabbed that stuff if the supermarket shelves are suddenly not as full as you have gotten used to seeing them.
We have a little stash of cash at home for emergencies, which is something I’d recommend to anyone, but one must also, in my opinion, be mentally prepared for the possibility that money might lose some of its value altogether. At times of crisis, you might do a lot better bartering goods and services. Think what skills you have that might come in handy when folks need to fend for themselves (carpentry, plumbing, growing food, traditional medicine, etc).
Speaking of growing food, now would be a great time to start a vegetable garden. I can readily envision a situation in which nobody is actually starving, but there are problems with delivering fresh produce. People who have their own vegetables, eggs, milk, etc, and know how to forage for edibles in their area, will be at a huge advantage.
Then I’m also thinking long-term. I do have some cautious optimism and believe the virus will eventually be contained, but the economy will probably suffer a major recession that will last far longer than the actual crisis. Things might not be as plentiful or as cheap as we have gotten to take for granted since China, the world’s major manufacturer of just about anything these days, has suffered a hard blow with this epidemic, and it might get worse still (I’m just speculating here, of course) . We could also see a reduction of import and a resurgence of local production, which might not be a bad thing for us after all.
Stay safe, take care of yourselves and your family, and don’t take unnecessary risks!
