I am not interested in sparking a debate about whether or not to travel right now. The research and information is changing by the moment. But in light of these events, can we pause for a moment and use this as an opportunity for perspective?
A month ago, long before the North American Toilet Paper Crisis, I took this picture as we began our trip to the capital city.
When we get in the car, we need to consider the many places along the way where there may not be washrooms, let alone toilet paper. And while it's not my first choice, it's possible to survive without! I'm just saying'...
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| Similar to what might be found in washrooms here |
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| Similar to what we used in India |
But this perspective goes beyond the stockpiling of foods and household products.
On our way back from Kenya last week, just the kids and I were waiting for our flight in the airport in Ethiopia. I was sporting hand sanitizer, encouraging the kids to not touch the hand rails, and far more diligent that dropped pieces of cookie not be picked up and consumed.
The call was made to line up, and I'll admit, I intentionally stayed at the back of the line with my kids, a little distance between the next passengers.
As we were waiting, the middle-aged gentleman in front of us and his 20-something-year-old sons pulled out their face masks (and let it be said they were not coughing or sneezing, so chances are it was not so much about protecting the rest of us). My oldest turned to me and said "Oh, we should have brought some of those from the hospital to wear as well!" I replied, in a voice that was maybe louder then it needed to be, that actually we needed to leave those masks at the hospital so that daddy and the other doctors and nurses could use them when they were most needed.
Here's the thing. I wasn't just trying to prove a point (ok, maybe a little bit...). The reality is that weeks ago our team here was already discussing what to do with the fact that there was a potential mask shortage, and what if we couldn't get any?
Long before the COVDI-19 pandemic, our hospital was preparing for Lassa Fever season, which is now upon us. As a referral site, there is a risk that any day a very sick, contagious person might arrive, and we needed to be prepared. (For those unfamiliar with this virus, as I was, it is an ebola-like virus. Wikipedia states "About 15-20% of hospitalized people with Lassa fever will die from the illness. The overall case fatality rate is estimated to be 1%, but during epidemics, mortality can climb as high as 50%.")
The point is that facing resource limitations is a pre-existing and ongoing challenge in many areas of the world. And it is serious. Our Togolese friends had to think about that months ago as they prepared themselves for this current dry, hot season by storing the foods that their families would survive off of. The pharmacists here need to plan far in advance to have medicines on the shelves. And it goes on and on.
Perhaps it would help use all to gain perspective on what happens on a regular basis around the world. This is not to minimize others' challenges - we all like to have those soft white squares available.
But what if the craziness of suddenly wondering if we will have access to basic resources can be used as a reminder that this is a daily reality for many around the world? What if we took a moment to stop and think, wow, I have never considered before what a luxury it is to throw a bag of TP into my grocery cart. If we saw the empty bottled water shelves and could pause, just for a moment, and realize the gift that clean water is.What if, after all this begins to clear again, and as things resume to normal, we could remember what it felt like to wonder if we would need to go without?
Maybe, even now, we can use this perspective to remind ourselves that millions go without toilet paper. All the time.
And by the way, if you run out, we have toilet paper.
By Julie
