Guilty! I am part of the growing population that shops online. Curbside pickup at HEB has a parking space reserved with my name on it, and UPS, FedEx, & Amazon couriers are now on my Christmas card mailing list. Although I can be found in the gardening section of Lowe’s too frequently, much of my routine supplies are delivered to my car or my front door.
So, you can understand my reaction when I popped into Walmart to pick up a can of spray paint. I was resigned to searching for an employee to unlock the case containing aerosol cans; I am patient when the intent is to protect youth from impetuous-age-stupidity leading to self-harm (huffing). After finding the desired shade of red for my home project, I decided to pick up a few groceries… in person! The shortest path from Point A (painting section) to Point B (fresh cherries) was through the Baby Department. Okay, maybe it wasn’t the shortest or most direct trek, and GPS would have routed me a different direction, but with the approaching arrival of my first grandchild, it was a necessary detour! As I prowled (a term my mother-in-law used for browsing in the aisles), my heart sank. There was another locked glass case … baby formula! BABY FORMULA! LOCKED!
One: I was shocked by the outrageous prices.
Two: I reconciled why it was under lock and key.
This is all so new to me. I did not know that locking up essential food items was a common practice in many stores.
Days later, I still cannot shake it. I ‘Googled’ the situation and learned that baby formula is often stolen by parents, as well as criminals seeking to sell it on the underground economy. This is truly criminal … the situation … the desperation … it is criminal. I am not advocating for unlocking the cases and letting parents steal from the stores. But I am heartsick!
I remember when my son, Drew, was born. I did not crave extravagant wealth (of course not, I chose to be a public-school teacher), but I did want the security of knowing that I could feed my beloved child and provide medical care as needed. That’s all, simply feed and protect my baby. Parents aren’t any different 30+ years later, and it isn’t too much to ask. But both are increasingly out of reach for many of our neighbors. This is criminal.
I do not know exactly what to do about it. There are possibilities and solutions, but they seem to get trapped in political rhetoric that forgets about the cries of desperate parents. Health care and food are basic needs.
I want a world where nutrition does not require security measures. Where the babies that our society proclaims to protect can be fed and receive healthcare. I want better.
It is not too much to ask.
