CHOCOLATE - ESSENTIAL OR LUXURY?

I fully support the measures in place to help us overcome the Coronavirus and the devastating effects of Covid-19. I do get that in order to protect ourselves and others we must consider the impact of our actions, particularly when it comes to social distancing and self-isolation. On a personal level I have been going to great lengths to protect myself; I am not quite ready to meet my maker just yet (despite having purchased my own coffin some years ago, which now languishes in my garage), at least while I still have money in the bank and plenty of wine to consume. However, enforced time spent at home, for which I will be eternally grateful, has given me pause for thought.

We are told that we should only leave our homes or shop for ‘essential’ items. What though do we mean by ‘essential’? At its most basic level, ‘essential’ means having access to food, water, warmth, shelter and rest. Much depends upon where in the social hierarchy we find ourselves. For those on the breadline the top priority will be keeping a roof over their heads and food in the bellies of their families. I spend a great deal of time supporting some of our most vulnerable people and ‘essential’ may have an altogether different meaning for them. Whatever the rights and wrongs of their situation, a daily fix is absolutely ‘essential’ for alcoholics and drug addicts.

In the last month we have all seen our lives turned upside down, and the physical and mental impact of lockdown on those confined to home, often with reduced levels a of income, cannot be underestimated. Whilst daily basics such as bread and milk (and toilet paper!) are easy to view as ‘essential’, it is often those little luxuries in life, the non-essentials, that can bring some joy into an otherwise nerve-racking situation. For many, time spent in the garden whilst the weather remains relatively dry and sunny, can be really uplifting, as can the opportunity to spend time at home carrying out those chores we are usually too busy to tackle, or the chance to chill out in front of the TV with a glass of wine and a sneaky bar of chocolate.

I would argue that the ability to indulge in these non-essential activities is actually ‘essential’ for our well-being and I worry about some of the enforcement activity that has taken place.

It is understandable that many of our stores, bars, restaurants, hotels and leisure facilities need to be off limits at present but there must be ways in which we can allow people to spend their enforced isolation in a manner that will support their mental and physical well-being, whilst at the same time helping to prop up the economy; be it pot plants, pots of paint, or even that bar of chocolate and a good book.