We are privileged to live in a town where we can get a lot of the finer things in life: fresh milk, cheese, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, bags of wheat flour for baking, oats, and household goods such as mattresses and cloth, even printer cartridges.
Still, there are some things we enjoy that we can't get here - raisins, cocoa powder, spices, crackers, zip-lock bags, chocolate - that we bring from the U.S. or buy in Nairobi or Kampala. We ration these carefully, trying to make them last until the next time we can travel to get more or have them sent in. We are ... discreet... with these; we don't leave them out where people can see them. They are for "special occasions".
This is not hoarding. It's self-control and good management of available resources. ... Okay, maybe it's hoarding.
But now, we're just three days away from an 8-month furlough. Eight months in the good ol' U.S. of A., the land of milk and honey... and chocolate, and superstores. A land replete with zip-lock bags, batteries (good ones), wholewheat flour, cinnamon and chili powder.
Suddenly, I'm feeling very liberal, very generous. Crackers? Here, have another one! Icing sugar? Time to bake a cake, and *frost* it! Happy birthday, friend! Lentils? Time to make some soup, and share it with the night guard! That last bar of Cadbury chocolate...? Let's make chocolate chip cookies ... and offer some to the neighbors! Molasses? Time for gingerbread! Employee diagnosed with typhoid and given a prescription for Cipro? Have some from our stock, it's on the house! Want some multi-vitamins with that? Wheeee!!! Glorious freedom!
So how can I foster a more care-free attitude towards things all the time? What is the proper balance between hoarding and wasting? How to manage our resources responsibly, without being selfish?
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