Panic

    Does it appear to you as it does to me that many people are getting into panic mode because of the coronavirus?  Now I’m not trying to minimize the importance of taking all precautions that you can to keep yourself and your family healthy, but doesn’t it seem that many are becoming a little bit on the side of being a bit paranoid?

     You have a family that on a “normal” two week period might use 14 rolls of toilet paper.  (I think I’m being a bit excessive, but we’ll use that for my illustration.)  Now they think they are going to need 10 packs with 12 rolls each because of the virus!!!

     As far as I’m concerned if that family is going to be using that much toilet paper within a 14 day self-quarantined time frame they must have a more serious problem than the virus.

     At the 17 stores around the region (Boston), the grocery chain Roche Bros. said demand was up nearly three times since Thursday (March 12^th) following a rush of news that pointed to an impending coronavirus outbreak in the U.S.  The spike in shopping has sparked fears that food supply chains will struggle to meet a sustained increase in demand.

     However, according to the New York Times:  “Americans have been alarmed by empty grocery shelves while food suppliers and retailers say they are struggling with surging demand, they insist the supply chain remains strong.”

     This has not been the first time that a mass hysteria has caused a shortage of toilet paper.  According to snopes.com: “In December 1973, Johnny Carson made a joke during his opening monologue on The Tonight Show about an upcoming toilet paper shortage. While Carson was not the first to comment on the situation, the talk show host’s joke was blamed for causing a nationwide toilet paper shopping spree.”

     “Carson read a real newspaper clipping about a toilet paper shortage on the air… The day after Carson read the clipping (and made a few jokes) about the “toilet paper shortage” people didn’t realize the story had been about commercial toilet paper and there was a surge of panic buying of consumer-grade toilet paper. This resulted in the stores selling out of the toilet paper they had on the shelves — which of course reinforced the rumor of a toilet paper shortage.” 

     Panic according to the dictionary is the “sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly unthinking behavior.”  We only have to look around us at this time and see that this definition is being played out by a vast number of people in all communities.  We must control ourselves, be balanced in our needs, and continue to move forward with life.  Unfortunately, we’re only human.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Don't panic so others will stay calm."