Three weeks ago, I went to a softball game.

It was the annual "border rivalry" game between Missouri and Illinois, played on a neutral field at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri, near St. Louis, on March 11. There were perhaps 300 fans there on that small field, not really a stadium, and the Illini defeated my Tigers 2-1. Boo, hiss. I wish that had been the worst thing that happened that evening.

After I drove the 105 miles west back to my house in Columbia, Missouri, I found an email in my inbox from the Southeastern Conference (MU is an SEC school). The email advised that because of the coronavirus crisis, the SEC was going to start playing games in empty stadiums and arenas, with no fans in attendance. It was when I read that email that the realization suddenly hit me, like the proverbial ton of bricks, that this situation is SERIOUS. The Southeastern Conference would not resort to such an extreme measure otherwise.

It was at the moment that I read that email that my world suddenly and vastly changed. And I fear permanently, or at least, for months or perhaps years. And then, the next day, the SEC announced that they were canceling all spring sports.

I've made three big grocery store runs since then and I've got enough supplies to stay in the house for perhaps three weeks, but the last time I went to the grocery store, they were running out of stuff. I got the last box of vanilla wafers, for example, and there was no ground beef (I wanted to make Hamburger Helper).

On my next grocery store run, I wonder how much stuff I WON'T be able to get?

-- Ron