JoKalsbeek
Expert
- Messages
- 6,715
- Location
- The Netherlands
- Type of diabetes
- I reversed my Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
I've been self isolating since the 7th, and watching the world go by on my PC. Much to my frustration. Quite a few of you know I suffer from depression, and as I can't take antidepressants, it's the outings in the weekends that keep me going through the week. You know, to the little cat café's ("Oh, you're the keto lady!"), or that little chocolate specialty shop with a sugar free section, or, or, or.... Or any other business that's struggling right now. In the Netherlands, where I live, we're not on lock down. But restaurants have to close by government order until at least the 6th of April, and most likely well beyond that. High streets are empty and while some shops can technically remain open, there's little point. No-one's going shopping, so a lot is just shutting down for the time being, and taking their losses. The government has a plan in place, but so far they can't implement it yet, -big endeavor after all- which also means that those who need help to keep afloat right now, are going to have to be creative. Some businesses sell vouchers now to bridge the gap though!
I'm at home and up until yesterday, I couldn't do anything, but finally, today, some of my usual haunts have started selling online vouchers. For coffee/tea and cake (got one of those for my husband), or just a monetary value... These are the places that don't give me any grief when I ask for a menu to be changed, shops who responded enthusiastically to low carb and no sugar to a point of dedicating part of their shelving to it, places that made me feel better when things were bad. Now things are bad for them. And I'm not made of money, my husband is worried about his job right now, and I'm just on disability, but I can try and ease their pain a little, in my own way. My husband discussed the same with a client the other day and he said, "But, if the business topples, your money's gone". Yeah.... That's the risk. But if a lot of people put in a little money, they'll still have the places that bring them joy when all this is over. And the odds that business'll topple'll be smaller. So... If you can get a voucher, do. If you can put in an online order with an independent shop you love, do. We're all in this together, after all... And I know a few too many shop owners all over the world, frankly, who see their life's work in danger at the moment. Honestly, I want to start playing the lottery again because there's so many people/businesses I care about that need help. They were there for me, and the best I can do is spend a tenner or so. It's not much, but it's something, at least.
I hope everyone's doing alright out there. Sterile hugs all around.
Love,
Jo
I'm at home and up until yesterday, I couldn't do anything, but finally, today, some of my usual haunts have started selling online vouchers. For coffee/tea and cake (got one of those for my husband), or just a monetary value... These are the places that don't give me any grief when I ask for a menu to be changed, shops who responded enthusiastically to low carb and no sugar to a point of dedicating part of their shelving to it, places that made me feel better when things were bad. Now things are bad for them. And I'm not made of money, my husband is worried about his job right now, and I'm just on disability, but I can try and ease their pain a little, in my own way. My husband discussed the same with a client the other day and he said, "But, if the business topples, your money's gone". Yeah.... That's the risk. But if a lot of people put in a little money, they'll still have the places that bring them joy when all this is over. And the odds that business'll topple'll be smaller. So... If you can get a voucher, do. If you can put in an online order with an independent shop you love, do. We're all in this together, after all... And I know a few too many shop owners all over the world, frankly, who see their life's work in danger at the moment. Honestly, I want to start playing the lottery again because there's so many people/businesses I care about that need help. They were there for me, and the best I can do is spend a tenner or so. It's not much, but it's something, at least.
I hope everyone's doing alright out there. Sterile hugs all around.
Love,
Jo
