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  03/15/2020

  Different Considerations When Stocking Up

  A text conversation between a group who play Dungeons and Dragons together, in mid March 2020, discussing a rumour that the province of Ontario was going to go into full lockdown, preventing local travel and shopping, perhaps even for groceries. The lockdown did not occur, but this interaction serves to illustrate the differing priorities people had when preparing themselves for an extended stay in their own homes, in a somewhat silly and joking manner. The first friend ended up buying a “flat” (low cardboard box used for staking) of Diet Coke, as he drinks it daily and did not want to be without it. The second was concerned with becoming bored and wanted to ensure she had enough activities (crafts) to keep her busy, as well as enough orange juice to take her with which to take medication as instructed. Additionally, as part of the fear of infection simply by being in public, she feared having to go to the store to fulfill those needs. The third friend was also concerned with having a supply of her favourite drink and with products to ensure safe sex in the long term. In the initial phases of the pandemic, when protocols for interaction were still being developed, rumours abounded but additionally, priorities varied greatly due to values but also due to perspective on how long restrictions would last and how much the pandemic would affect us.