The hunt for sour gummy worms showed we had no shortage of shortages during this pandemic
The Hubby returned from the hunt wearing the triumphant look of a conqueror.
“Found ‘em!” he announced, and whipped out the treasure.
I opened the first bag and popped the delicacy in my mouth. It had been months since we had been able to find our shared weaknesses: sour gummy worms. Yup, those tart, gummy candies with no redeeming nutritional value. We’re fans.
For no apparent reason that we could determine, there had been a shortage of sour gummy worms in our area. We hadn’t been able to find them in any store around us. And believe me, we looked. We asked grocery store managers if and when they expected a shipment and alerted the regular cashier to keep an eye out for us.
Because we don’t like going for long periods without ruining our teeth and our gut microbiome, we became despondent. Possibly malnourished too. We’re not accustomed to doing without and had to spring for Swedish Fish as a cavity-causing substitute. Until The Hubby’s victorious discovery.
The shortage of sour gummy worms may be inconsequential for many, but it underscores what has turned out to be months of selected scarcity and inexplicably empty shelves. In other words, we’ve had no shortage of shortages. Many blame the pandemic, but me, I’m not so sure. But these shortfalls feel so random.
Starbucks announced last month that it was running out of oat milk. Its shops couldn’t fill those oat milk latte orders that had become super popular since the item had been added to the menu. Such was the outcry that a Starbucks spokesperson explained the temporary shortage was due to high demand.
More worrisome were other restaurants’ situations: Just as we emerge from our COVID-19 chrysalis, eateries have been running out of condiment packets. The venerable Wall Street Journal broke the news that single-use ketchup wasn’t readily available, which is as close to food insecurity as many of us get. Rising to the occasion, Heinz, the country’s largest ketchup supplier, promised it would increase its ketchup production by 25%, to at least 12 billion packets. Phew!
Just last week, Twitter was up in arms over reports that Chick-fil-A, the fast food restaurant with the funny cow ads, was limiting the number of dipping sauce packets it was handing out. In outrage, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt tweeted a simple declaration, “Joe Biden’s America.”
But he wasn’t the only one insulted by such insufficiency. Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert opined “Is there no limit to how awful Biden’s America can get?” and Texas Senator Ted Cruz wrote, “Joe Biden is destroying America.”
Seems to me our politicians are focusing on all the wrong things, but I digress. In this space, it’s all about my own selfish wants.
For example, the demand for another personal fave — chicken wings — has outstripped supplies. Poultry has become something of a luxury, and eateries like KFC, Wingstop and Buffalo Wild Wings report they are limiting sales of tenders, filets and wings. A National Chicken Council spokesman — yes, there’s such a group — blamed the weather that pummeled Texas weeks ago but assured the clucking diners that supply should catch up to demand soon.
In the meantime, I fret that my grandkids, who love their chicken nuggets drenched in ketchup, will be permanently scarred by want.
Other well-known shortages include rental cars, metal shipping containers, electronic chips for autos and lumber for housing. According to the National Association of Home Builders, two-by-fours are suddenly so expensive that the cost of building a new home is about $36,000 more.
If memory serves me right, this conspiracy of shortages began last year with toilet paper flying off the shelves. Now, there’s plenty of that staple to go around, but another problem has cropped up. People who substituted moistened wipes have been flushing them down their toilets despite vociferous warnings not to do so. As a result, utility companies are spending millions to unclog pumps and pipes.
Apparently, there’s no shortage of idiocy either.
Ana Veciana-Suarez writes about family and social issues. Email her at avecianasuarez@gmail.com or visit her website anavecianasuarez.com. Follow @AnaVeciana.
