Two recent news items about the fading of the pandemic in this country converged in my head to emerge as serendipity.. We have spent more than a year in our sweatpants, sitting in front of our computers to work, shop, socialize, and eat. Especially eat. Being home all the time is dangerous for your resistance to food.. Plus being home all the time is boring, and lonely (or if you have kids, stressful), all of which encourage more shopping online and eating.
So here is Doctor Holley’s prescription for how to do something for yourself and your country at the same time .(Yes, I know, PhDs aren’t empowered to write prescriptions.). This twofer reminds me of the activists who just won seats on Exxon-Mobil’s board, demanding higher profits THROUGH emerging technologies. Social responsibility and shareholder wealth in the same package? Who knew?
So, what are you being asked to do? Go shopping in real stores. Grocery stores. Clothing stores. Big box stores. Boutiques. Eat at a restaurant. How does that help you lose the pandemic ten? Or twenty? Well, in March I started on a new weight loss program that strongly encourages walking, so I have been tracking my steps. The days I track the most steps are the ones when I go shopping. Don’t make your fingers do the walking (an old slogan that transfers easily form the yellow pages to the keyboard). Walking, regular walking, is one of the healthiest ways to control or even lose weight. It doesn’t require equipment or a personal trainer or a class (although exercise classes can provide a social outlet as you emerge from hibernation). Just download a free app on your iPhone and start counting your steps.
Your presence in stores also boosts the local retail establishment, which is good for the local economy. Yes, online shopping is great for finding obscure things, like a replacement flag for your mailbox, but local stores and services create jobs pay taxes and support high school teams and lots of other good community endeavors. Retailers and service provides have had a tough 14 months, and the survivors need your patronage.
Stand strong for America! Get up, get moving, and go shopping!
PurpleSage41 
😊
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I gotta say, I’m way ahead of you on this one. I have continued my daily walking throughout the pandemic, usually 3-4 miles, as I was doing before COVID. On top of that though, I consumed more sugar during the first 8 months of the pandemic, than I had consumed in the last 8 years. I made desserts every week (sometimes, multiple desserts) and got into a slight habit of ingesting hard liquor, which I have NEVER had a taste for. I blame the former president for a lot of this, because I have slowed both my sugar and alcohol consumption since January 20. QUITE INEXPLICABLY, I lost 10 pounds within the first five months of the pandemic, and have kept it off, even with the increased sugar. Am having a hard time getting back to shopping, certainly in-person. So, I have made a commitment to myself to do my online shopping with small, independent stores who, as you say, need the help. Strange times.
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Hard to separate the effects of Trump and the pandemic, isn’t it!
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Love it, Holley!
Sent from my iPhone
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