The long walk to town

When I was young I walked into town with my Nan, we visited the butchers for the meat (sawdust on the floor), the fishmonger for our fish, the market for the ribbons and buttons….and the vegetables.  We had a cup of tea and a cream doughnut in a small café with plastic coated tables.  Then we walked home.  OK so it was not exactly an adventure of epic scales, but it was an activity that raises great comfort and peace when I think back to it now.  

When my children were young I took them to the greengrocer, they had pennies to choose and buy their own apple.  I took them to the supermarket, and again they had pennies to choose and buy one or two items.  We always made something fun about it, maybe a plan for a future bake, maybe they had the challenge of finding the item I needed next.  Again, not a bountiful day of excitement and joy, but never-the-less days I loved and look back on with a calm happiness.  I am not saying these were Little House on The Prairie halcyon days…… but what we did have back then was time.  We spent time together, my Nan, my children and me.  And I think Time is one of the things lost in this busy world.  We think to save time by shopping online, by ordering, living, talking, joking, booking online.  And time saved it is……. what do we do with that cache of time?  We spend it online.  

What I loved about those trips to the market, to the greengrocers, to the shabby supermarket is the time spent together; chatting, planning, talking, laughing.…. we people watched, we shared.  Maybe I just rambled on about school, or friends, or what was for tea.  Who knows.  But every parent will tell you the children grow up so quickly……. time taken out of the busy world and spent with them is about the best investment you’re ever going to make.

So, yes, I still shop online.  But now I also go to the market, and buy my fish from a fishmonger and cheese from a cheese stall.  

Today my Nan is gone and the children are no longer children…….they are off on adventures true.  

I am glad we had the time we had.  And will have again.

Leading neatly into this………

Apparently there is some thinking in China about ‘finding a suitable replacement’ for the chopstick.  This has been brought about by the fact that China, reportedly, produces roughly 80 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks each year, and this is proving to be a huge burden on the young forests. So here we have a debate on keeping traditional ways alive, retaining the unique eating style of Asia and being eco friendly and responsible in attitude to sustainability with trees.  I’m not sure what the answer is but I hope it’s a better solution than abandoning the chopstick, even though personally I struggle to use them and am often the complete embarrassment of fellow diners as I meekly request a fork.