Yesterday I ran out of deodorant. I didn’t realize the container was low until that white plastic thing tilted over and almost fell out onto the floor. You know the thing I’m talking about. It’s about half an inch thick with sections. It’s there to assist us with gliding the product to the surface and holding it in place as we apply it day after day. But once we can see that plastic piece, it also lets us know that it’s time to replenish it, as we are nearing or at the end.

Well, this time I hadn’t noticed the piece had surfaced so I had no warning. The night prior I had just ordered my groceries for pickup and if you are familiar with that process, the day of pick up is too late to modify your order to add items such as deodorant that I was now out of. But no fret, I glanced under my cabinet and realized I had another tube of deodorant.

I had extra. The simple things. Every now and then I like to remind the vast majority of us just how blessed we are. Yep, seeing a $3 tube of deodorant brought on a whole post y’all. Because you see, when I went to reach for the deodorant, I noticed that there wasn’t just one tube under the cabinet, but instead I had 2 tubes on different sides. On the side near my make-up case was a tube, and near the middle where my shampoo resides was another tube. BAM!

I had extra extra! It is the simple things yall! You see, I can remember a time growing up where I had to scoop out deodorant from within those sections I mentioned earlier. Once I’d reached that plastic piece, I knew it because I’d get nervous. I’d get nervous because it would not be a “pay week” or it wouldn’t be the week for us to make groceries. So I knew that I’d passed my window to receive a new tube of deodorant.

Yes, I could inform my mom but I knew the drill. I’d have to wait until the next time she could “make” groceries. And often that time didn’t come around as soon as I’d want it to. So I learned to get by. Once I noticed that plastic piece, I’d start to cut my swipes down some. Just eliminate a swipe or two. And once that plastic piece started making streaks in my armpit, I knew it was time to start digging deodorant out of those sections and applying it with my hand.

If your deodorant has never made streaks across your armpit and you never had to dig it out, maybe you were lucky to just throw the tube out once you noticed that it was running low. Or maybe it wasn’t the deodorant for you. How about the toothpaste? Ever cut the toothpaste tube in half and squeeze out the contents to make it last a couple more days? And when that was gone, retreat to the refrigerator for baking soda? No mint flavor, but baking soda in the palm of your hands with a moistened tooth brush would in fact do the trick.

The list goes on…

Using towels to clean yourself when tissue was out. For paper towels, select-a-sheet my ass, you actually had to use dishes and wash them when you were finished. And if dishwashing liquid was completely out, meaning you’d already run water into the container to get the last little bit from the bottom, then you’d grab clothes washing powder to wash the dishes. Or being out of body soap, that same washing powder would work wonders making your skin super slippery.

So yes, as I noticed that I had two extra tubes of deodorant this morning, I was reminded just how blessed I am. Even in this pandemic, I’m blessed. Just last night I was reminded of how little activities we can engage in while in this pandemic. It was our norm to have dinner and a movie. But movie theaters remain closed and we rarely have family dinners out like we used to.

Have you looked around and noticed the other places we once enjoyed how they haven’t reopened yet? I heard this week that 1 out of 5 restaurants have closed and will remain closed. As of yesterday, 9 October, Regal movie theaters announced they were suspending operations until further notice.

Listen, we are only 7 months into this pandemic that is predicted to last at least another year. Can you imagine how many businesses that have closed and how many people are out of jobs? More than 25 million people have active unemployment insurance claims according to the Dept of Labor (DOL). Yet, several notable news sources have published unemployment filings reaching as high as 50 million people. Could the difference between filing and receiving benefits be that high? I personally know a few people not (were not) receiving any type of assistance.

Can you imagine how life has changed for so many people due to this pandemic? Many not receiving assistance…. Even if one hasn’t experienced those small, minuscule travesties I experienced. Minuscule because I never went hungry or without a roof over my head; so those were lite afflictions. But if those things weren’t an issue before, chances are great those little things may become an issue for so many right now.

It’s the little things, those extras that make us blessed.

Thanks for your attention. Remember you are your own competition.

Competition of 1.