The Owner-Member Connection Committee’s purpose is to ensure that the board of directors remains connected to the values, goals, and interests of the Bloomington Cooperative Services owner-members. This committee is open to any Owner-Member in good standing. For questions or more information on the OMCC please contact Corbin Baird at corbin@bloomingfoods.coop.
Missing Bloomingfoods
by Maggie Sullivan
I think March 13 - April 12 was the longest stretch of time in the last five years that I did not go to Bloomingfoods. Given all the disruption and weirdness of living through a global pandemic, it is a minor detail and yet staying away from the co-op was one of the biggest changes I made. No lunchtime hot bar trips? No meetings in the cafe? No "quick" stops for an onion and a carton of eggs that somehow took an hour because I had to catch up with four different friends? No embarrassing struggles to keep my five-year-old out of the bulk bins?
I missed it. And when I finally ventured in, I was both comforted and saddened. So much is the same and yet so much is different. I am grateful that both staff and customers are wearing masks to protect all of us, and yet it is a change that is hard to embrace. At least I can still see the eye crinkles when people smile. There may not be hugging in the aisles these days but I still heard laughter and saw gestures of love and community.
Several articles have come out recently about the importance of casual encounters and weak connections. The barista who greets you by name. The co-worker who compliments your shoes. The neighbor who smiles and waves to your children. We tend to overlook these moments and take them for granted. Now many of them have disappeared from our lives.
For me, Bloomingfoods is a place where for many years I have refilled my tank with friendly smiles and nods but also a place where I have experienced deep connections. Running into an old friend and laughing about the "good old days." Getting a hug that I didn't know I needed. Venting about the stress and chaos that is life. Listening to a story of struggle and despair that reminded me of all the blessings in my life. Yes, these conversations can happen anywhere but for me they happen frequently at the co-op.
While I can still count on having my spirits lifted when I visit Bloomingfoods, I don't pop in as often as I used to. To make up for the missed opportunities for connections, I'm trying to make community connections in other ways. A fun new game is to contact people beyond my circle of close friends just to say "Hey, I'm thinking of you. Hope you are well." Often I reach out via e-mail or on Facebook. I am also rediscovering the joys of phone calls, chatting with my neighbors (from a distance), and old-fashioned letters.
These days I find it hard to think about the future. I can not wish for a return to a "normal" life when it has become clear that our old "normal" was a disaster of inequity and precariousness. I can not quite muster up the energy to envision a new and improved future when so much of my attention is focused on survival. So I do what I can to stay sane and play my very small part in helping others do the same.
I hope that some day I can return to sharing a meal from the hot bar with a group of friends, old and new. Until then, I invite you to join me in rebuilding community however feels safe to you. If you'd like a letter or postcard of encouragement, please let me know. Seriously.