Sunday, 16 June 2013

Shop light, feel light

Spot the needle!
Today*, I cycled for food. Today was the perfect day for it; not too hot or cold, the scent of flowering trees and bushes in the air, a light breeze, freshly cut grass... fresh spring green all around me. Today, the dreaded weekly supermarket trip was transformed into a needle in a haystack in terms of its significance in my day.


Apart from getting some exercise and blowing some cobwebs out of my brain, I found that, for once, I didn't get stressed in the supermarket. I knew I could only buy what would fit in my backpack. The bike is not (yet) equipped for shopping trips. So all I could get was the essential stuff; basically, what we needed at home now; not the day after tomorrow when I will probably want a cucumber (which ends up lingering in the fridge for a week), and not next week when we will run out of compost (food waste bin) bags. That made me so focused, I wasn't bothered by all the people around me. I didn't even have to queue. Most people do bulk shopping; the basket only check-outs are definitely the better option. I was out in a flash. Wonderful, wonderful!

But sadly, I do work Mondays to Fridays, so I can't do this every day. It's a shame that the weekly shop is so common nowadays. Unfortunately our modern food system and our societal habits and structures (including work patterns) encourage it. It would be so nice to be able to just pop out to get what you need at the local neighbourhood store - despite working 9 to 5 (or more) five (or more!) days per week. If only we had one... I need to get my act together and set one up...!! I am sure I am not the only one who would appreciate it.

*I actually (hand)wrote this in my non-virtual diary on 19th May 2013, so this is a slightly belated blog entry.

2 comments:

  1. Pomme-de-terre clandestine16 June 2013 at 22:44

    Schoen! Nice and short posts are good too. Better would be even if the milk man came by? Or you visited your local farmer for a cuppa and a chat about the weather, while picking up a sack of tatties

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  2. Vivian17 June 2013 at 11:36

    There is a milk man, but he doesn't do organic milk :(. Ha, I'd like to see a neighbourhood farm in London! It's probably too utopian to be imagining going directly to the farm :) but a farm shop would do the job nicely! There is something to be said for having as much as possible of what you want to buy in one place, but this doesn't need to be the supermarket; it could just as easily be the good old-fashioned high street with specialised shops (butchers, bakers, veg shop...).

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