On Privlige Again

A few weeks back I had a micro-freak out. Nothing mentionable really, less then 5 minutes in my head, no where anywhere near having a panic attack. I needed groceries. In September a new store opened up about 2mi away, so the closer one, maybe 1mi away, a different chain that sells overpriced food of no better quality, closed in October. Forget about the fact that I have a Trader Joe's 3 blocks away and a 7-11 (for emergency milk & dish washer detergent) literally across the street. I waited all day, until it was dark and cold, to roll to the new grocery store.

It was after this that the almost imperceptible freak out occurred. What am I going to do when it snows? How am I going to get food this winter? People / the county just don't shovel sidewalks very well and it's too far to roll in the street. At least you could get to the old grocery store by cutting through the mall and you'd barely be outside at all. It's too cold for me to be outside that long in the winter. Cold hurts. Even in the daylight, in a few weeks it will be too cold. It's 20-25min each way. I don't want to take paratransit somewhere I could roll (absent snow). I don't want to pay a cab to get somewhere I could roll. What a waste of money and time and aggravation.

Then I stopped myself. I thought about all the grocery stores that I can roll to in 20-25min or less, including Trader Joe's (4). Of course I can't roll there in the snow, but I can take the bus (if the bus stop is cleared). Bus stops often aren't cleared in the county or the city. The bus stop right outside of my building is always cleared though. I can even take the bus easily to a 5th grocery store. Not just the bus, the QuickBus. I have a decent feeling that stop will be cleared, although I bet the curb cut to get to it will be dicey.

I can take paratransit even though it frustrates me. I can afford a cab. I can ask friends with cars to take me when they go, even though I don't want to. Two of the grocery stores deliver. I can order food online and it will show up at my door. I can afford the delivery charge, which I think is free for your first order. I won't starve. Why I momentarily though I would is ridiculous.

So then I thought about how lucky I am. Many people don't have that many grocery stores that close to where they live. Have you ever heard of food deserts? I'm not even talking about 3rd world countries -- just go into Baltimore city. The city hired a "food czar" to try to rectify that problem. We also have a problem with "hack cabs" something I'd never heard of until I googled Baltimore food desert. I'm lucky to have so many transportation options that are easy for me to access, even if paratransit is frustrating. It's not difficult for me to get food, and for that I am thankful.