Got milk?

She takes slow steps as she turns left. She makes sure that no sound comes out of her mouth as she walks in. She looks left and right, making sure that no eyes are looking. No ears are hearing. She looks at him, he looks at her. She nods. He understands. He goes to the back room and brings a black plastic bag. Swiftly, he puts it in her grocery bag and gives her the “Deal is done” look. She gives him the money and leaves the place. 

The previous description was not a drug or alcohol purchase. It was the simple mechanism that people nowadays resort to in order to buy milk. Unbelievable as it may seem, the episode of milk going 404 is coming back to our lives. Sooner than later, you’ll be seeing people carrying 8 or more cartons of milk. The running Olympics will start as everyone races to the hope of finding one bottle. And the bounties shall be awarded to the best shovers.  

Now, personally, I don’t know why such a period in the Tunisian economy happens. It could be an economic stunt, or maybe we really don’t produce enough quantities (even though I highly doubt this) but this still happens. I may not have the answers to this phenomena but I do know one thing for sure:

This attitude of consumerism and blind purchase is not doing anyone good. I know some people like to drink milk first thing in the morning, myself included. But, would it be as tragic as we think it is. I mean not only are we showing egoism at high levels but we are also showing the people behind these stunts that we are helpless. That without their products we are lost and weak. Whereas, the truth of the matter is we aren’t. 

For a few days, we can stop consuming milk and show the big boys that we can manage. 

So try to be wiser when you go buy milk next time. And let’s try to be considerate for the sake of everyone around us. 

By Salma Alkhayat

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