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What I Bought During the Pandemic
What do our covid purchases reveal about our lives?
In Late July a group of swim pals were sitting around a patio enjoying strong coffee and sweet treats after a long lake swim. We’re always in a state of life-appreciation after spending 90 minutes moving through calm butter-water, as we call a smooth velvety day on the lake. A pandemic was in bloom, yet we were happy in this moment, happy to be able to swim on a gorgeous summer morning and be together.
“Have you noticed how much money you’re saving during covid?” one friend sighed. “What’s there to buy, where’s there to go?”
I started tallying a list in my mind — everything I had added to my possessions outside of the usual lotions-and-potions, food, supplements, books and office supplies. It was such a short list, most of my new items had been in use that very morning: sleeveless wetsuit, swimsuit, bright green swim cap, goggles. New Chacos.
When I mentally added up what I had bought since March 2020 , I saw a micro-memoir marching down the page of my new-possessions list. Recently, a wrote down my list and emailed it to a friend. She wrote back with hers. I bought a delicious orange face spritz from her list.
I’d like to say I was one of those creative pandemic responders who had this inspiring side-hustle and took up something new…
