In recent weeks I have noticed several articles touching on the increase in alcohol consumption. An emerging trend brought on by the pandemic?
In his April 7th, 2020 article, The Pandemic Will Accelerate History Rather Than Reshape It; Not Every Crisis Is a Turning Point, Richard Haass argued against the then prevailing view “that the [post-pandemic] world we are entering will be fundamentally different from what existed before”, but rather “COVID-19 will not so much change the basic direction of world history as accelerate it [current trends].”
Haass was arguing in the context of global affairs. My perspective, however, is locally oriented, directed more towards my mundane daily life.
Among the many things I have done to carry myself through this period, I have completed a study of various red wines to hone in on a personally optimal selection (price vs. taste).
While these purchases of red wine are one of the few transacted in-store — most others are on-line — all of these are completed with a credit card. In fact, if pressed, I can’t recall the last time I paid with cash. As an aside there is something reaffirming about seeing the credit card reader flash “Approved” as if one has gained access to some special club or some elevated status; this positive reinforcement is not offered when paying with cash.
In a process that confounds me, my empty wine bottles need to be returned to the Beer Store, not the liquor store from where they were bought. For these empty bottles I can take either cash or a store credit towards beer. I take the cash.
As I left the Beer Store on my most recent trip, stuffing the cash into my wallet, it occurred to me that I had not gone to a bank machine since the beginning of the pandemic; all my limited cash needs were fulfilled by the cash from returns to the Beer Store. The Beer Store was my new cash dispenser.
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