CHOICES

Aargh! How do I begin to choose? In a floor-covering store I’m confronted with hundreds of different colours, patterns, textures, and prices of carpet and vinyl. In the supermarket – real shop or online, there are rows of different breakfast cereals to choose from – with or without sugar, fruit, nuts, chocolate, seeds… In the market I can take my pick of fruit – in or out of season – strawberries in June or November; vegetables and salads from near or far: red or green grapes, purple or green broccoli; local watercress, tomatoes and apples; exotic mangoes, melons and lemons… Restaurants, even in these restricted times, still offer a choice of what to eat and drink – cappuccino or skinny latte, green, black or fruit tea…

Yes, I’m fortunate to have so much choice when many people don’t. But do you and I have too much choice? Has the coronavirus pandemic had any effect on our thought-processes and life-styles? Is life any simpler than before March 2020? Have you had time to reflect on life itself rather than on the stuff that we so easily take for granted? Have your habits changed in recent months? Is your worldview and life-view different now?

The local vinyl man did a home visit and produced just three small books of sample flooring. He was in the house ten minutes. He measured. I chose. Job done. If only all choices were that simple.