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Backup Plans

It started with a backup coffee pot. We ordered it at the start of the stay-at-home orders because I reasoned that if our coffee pot broke and we had to wait a week or two to get a new one, I would be weathering the stress of the pandemic with a caffeine headache. It wasn’t a big deal to order a backup coffee pot, so we did it and felt good about the purchase. We picked up a pour-over coffee attachment at the same time and felt super-prepared. We were going to have coffee come hell or high water.

The backup plan extended to a few food products and cleaning supplies. We didn’t need hand soap now, but we would need it in the future, so we picked up an extra bottle or two. I got a backup bottle of bleach so I could mix my own cleaning spray if we couldn’t get any at the store. All was well within a normal range of preparations.

Was I more “prepared” (whatever that means) than other people? I don’t think so. We had a few extra boxes of pasta. A few extra rolls of toilet paper. It felt good to know that if we couldn’t go out for a week, we’d be fine.

But then came the backup plan for the plants. The backup plants. I started obsessing over what would happen if my plants died and I couldn’t get more plants. I should get backup plants for the real plants. This would give us way too many herbs, but that could be a good thing. I’m sure neighbours would appreciate a bag of fresh basil and Linus always loves a sprig of parsley.

Which made me think that I should get a backup pig. My greatest joy right now is mornings with my pig. I show him animal videos and scratch his head. He curls up next to me while I read a book. He is my heart, covered in fur.

So I started looking at guinea pig breeders and that is when I realized there would never be a big enough backup plan to encompass all of the people and pets I love. There is no way to get a backup for the most important beings. And that is really what the backup plan is all about: Trying to keep everyone safe. Keep everyone close. This was never about pasta or plants or pigs. (Okay, maybe it was a little about pigs.) It was about trying to have some control during a scary time.

So I closed the sites and went to spend time with my pig and try not to worry.

8 comments

1 a { 06.03.20 at 8:15 am }

You should still get another guinea pig, though…

I am a pragmatist – I wanted extra food to satisfy my husband’s anxiety and to minimize my trips to the grocery store. Plus, the greatest disaster happened at the beginning of the stay-at-home order here – our water heater started leaking. Once that was taken care of, I figured we were probably in pretty good shape (although our refrigerator is old, and may soon need to be replaced). So I haven’t worried about too much. But that’s my way – worrying is just excess energy that I’m too lazy to expend. 🙂

2 Beth { 06.03.20 at 9:41 am }

This is funny timing for me. I am very big on back up plans and ordered extra soap, cleaning spray etc, knowing it would all take a while. We have a backup coffee pot.

I have been doing grocery pick ups exclusively and often items are out of stock. Like a lot of items. So I shop for all contingencies and typically end up with enough meals and snacks for the amount of time I need to fill.

Today I picked up for the first time in 10 days and had filled my online cart assuming I would not go back for at least 10, but also that there would inevitably be things not in stock. For example, last week we got zero bagels and zero yogurt which was a big inconvenience. My husband and daughters like to eat both of those items daily.

Today I got everything. Everything I had ordered! They were out of 3 things and subbed them all. I don’t know if I have ever had this happen, even pre-pandemic. And I had ordered assuming I wouldn’t get several things, so…

We have so much food.

My husband’s reaction was “Did you buy all the Chobani at the store!?”

(We will eat it all – I know none will go to waste – but this made me realize that having a backup plan for every little thing may not be necessary? Hard to know. It goes against my nature to wing it and assume the best will happen.)

3 KatherineA { 06.03.20 at 10:28 am }

I’m kind of smile-crying a little at this in recognition because it rings so darned true to me. The pantry is full of stuff because I never knew what I was going to get and “what if I don’t get it next time?!” My husband the other day came out and bemusedly said “uh, we have a ton of flour…maybe don’t put any in the next order?” It will all get used, but there is, rather, quite a lot of flour at this point. Everything really does feel so out of control and I hear you about ordering back ups to back ups (the flour is not the only thing this happened with). Really love the last line of the post, because that – in so many ways – is really all there is to do right now and this is a great reminder.

4 Working mom of 2 { 06.03.20 at 10:53 am }

Full pantry here…after our TP stock was dwindling a couple months ago, I finally was able to buy some successfully a few times (after stalking Target, Amazon, Costco web sites). For a few weeks I’ve felt ok, especially since store shelves have looked okay on my biweekly grocery trips. But now I’m starting to worry again, with our state and my county opening up more, numbers going up. I still can’t find disinfectant wipes or gloves online.

5 Mali { 06.04.20 at 12:53 am }

Yes – it is all part of trying to feel in control. I know that I felt much happier at the beginning of lockdown knowing I already had plenty of pasta and rice, just because that’s the way I shop. Of course, with major earthquakes hitting our country the last ten years, we are all more aware of the need to have emergency supplies, so I never like things to run out. But my pantry is overflowing, so maybe I’ve overdone it? Though I never stockpiled – well, not more than usual!

And I’m glad you went off and enjoyed your time with your pig and tried not to worry.

6 omdg { 06.04.20 at 2:13 pm }

I thought you meant a pig pig and thought — that is so amazing!! She has a REAL PIG! Guinea pigs are cool too, though. 😉

Right there with you on the rest of it.

7 Jess { 06.05.20 at 7:56 am }

Yes to all of this. And I love that you spent time with your pig and tried not to worry!

I love this: “There is no way to get a backup for the most important beings. And that is really what the backup plan is all about: Trying to keep everyone safe. Keep everyone close. This was never about pasta or plants or pigs. (Okay, maybe it was a little about pigs.) It was about trying to have some control during a scary time.”

8 Lori Lavender Luz { 06.07.20 at 2:49 pm }

Your instincts were good. Be in the present and love what you have here and now.

And at the same time sensibly preparing for the future. It’s so hard right now because it’s never felt less predictable.

I am with you on having lots of back-up planning thinking.

(c) 2006 Melissa S. Ford
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