Up until a few months ago, I didn’t care about these words. Now, I’m sick of hearing them. Supply chain.
I know there have been disruptions over the past couple of years. It really is to be expected. But it seems like those two words are being used as a club to get us all to spend more money and start Christmas shopping early.
They can’t build enough new cars because of supply chain issues. There will be a shortage of toys this Christmas because of supply chain issues. There are entire factories of people producing conspiracy theories based around supply chain issues. That’s about the only thing that seems not to be having supply chain issues. There are always plenty of conspiracy theories.
While there may be some disappointment at Christmas if the sought after toy or designer clothing item is not under the tree, if think we can get through it.
And it’s not that I won’t try.
There have long been shortages around this time of year. If you have been around long enough, you may have tried to find a Cabbage Patch Doll back in the 80s. The first year they came out, it wasn’t happening unless you got really lucky and knew someone who knew someone.
I can remember the first year for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle figures. I had people scouring everywhere east of Montreal trying to find them. There were none. Or there seemed to be none. I did manage to track down some at a store in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and got them shipped to me. It was a moment of triumph for me.
But there have been years when I failed. There have been video games I couldn’t get my hands on. Other various toys that became really scarce. (Yeah… I’m looking at you, Elmo.) I don’t think any lives were ruined because of a toy I couldn’t find. I prefer to look at it as character building.
The whole “supply chain issues” thing is probably quite real, but I refuse to give in. I plan to just treat it as one more challenge. I may keep a watch for some of those items that might become hard to find as we get closer to Christmas, but I would normally do that this time of year. I may even pick up the odd thing early. Although we’re already at a point where “early” is becoming questionable.
But I know I will still be out there in December, bravely wandering the aisles of various stores, probably looking for things that might be a suitable replacement, because that’s what I do. It’s not the thrill of the gift. It’s the thrill of the hunt that really matters.
Although, really, you would think we would have learned something over the past couple of years. It wasn’t so much the material things we were missing, it was the people. That’s what I really want for Christmas. And there’s no supply chain shortage on the horizon there.
