Woolgathering

Or rather food gathering.

The other day, I went to the grocery store.  Not for the first - or even the thousandth - time in my life.  But every time I go I am struck by how inefficient is this process.

Have you ever thought about the number of times you handle that stuff?  Picking it off the shelves to fill your cart.  Taking it from the cart to place it on the check-out conveyor belt.  If you're in one of those pared-to-the-bone stores, you get to place it in the bag to carry home, too. 

Once home, the items are carried into the house.  Then they need to be put away on shelves and in the fridge.  I used to wish I could just take the kids to the grocery store and let them graze the shelves.  It would have been much easier. And that's just your part in the process.  I'm imagining all the other hands in the long chain from producer through prep and packaging to the loading, shipping, off-loading and shelf-stacking. 

I think it kind of makes the case for on-line ordering and delivery.  Even though it would deprive me of the fun of shopping for the stuff.  You see,  I actually enjoy the process just not the incessant handling of each item.  I have considered being a volunteer grocery shopper for seniors.  It would tick all the boxes for me.  But not yet...I'm still in the middle of other commitments.

As I look at the veggie garden, I think that this system is the best of all: walk outside;  harvest whatever; prepare and put it on the table.  Way more direct and a whole lot fresher.  But not entirely practical.  And that's why we have grocery stores.  Back to the beginning.