They bought all the toilet paper, then the produce and the canned goods.
I lost my non-essential job.
How will I feed my family?
The nursery man gave me credit, compost, soil, seeds, and pots. I planted our family garden.
This summer, we ate like kings. I sold the surplus.
© Copyright 2020—Present, Jenise Cook, All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Self Published: 28 August 2020 for Twitterzine @fix_friday (RIP)
Image Credit: Ikon on Pixabay.com
About this Story
Note: This post is a part of my “push” between now and the end of December to publish my older works on Substack. You’ll read new works beginning January 2023.
Story Prompt - Opposites: Abundance / Scarcity
The first visual that popped into my head when I read the writing prompt was the empty shelves in our grocery stores from SARS-CoV-2 (COVID 19) panic buying. Scarcity.
The second visual? My friends’ wonderful home garden they planted this year. The rich compost and soil nutrients have produced an abundance that enables them to give some vegetables away to neighbors and friends. I combined the two mental images and came up with this story.
Update: December 4, 2022. Now, many of us are dealing with price inflation in our local grocery stores. Several of our immediate neighbors have joined us in growing a few vegetables in backyard gardens. We were fairly successful this past spring and summer with our first attempt. We learned valuable lessons, and were introduced to the wonderful Master Gardeners in our rural county. I’m looking forward to the next growing season.
Our town recently posted a survey on their Facebook page asking if residents would like “urban chickens” allowed on private properties that are not zoned “agricultural”. The overwhelming response was a resounding “YES!!”. That’s very good news, but I’m sure the few HOA neighborhoods will fight over this, Lol!
And, sadly, my story is now more fact than fiction.
Your Turn
What do you think about scarcity and abundance? Share with us in the Comments.