I understand that the economy is in a slump. I am reminded of that each time I put gas in my car. I try to be a good steward of our natural resources by planning my trips to shop, visit or be entertained so not a drop of gas is wasted by doubling back or veering off my carefully planned route. It doesn’t do a lot for my need, at times, to be spontaneous, but I figure I can handle it for the good of the economy.

I get that the housing market is in turmoil. Having witnessed friends and neighbors packing up and moving out because someone foreclosed on their homes, I try to do my part. Even though I still have random ” I would love a new home ” attacks, I curb the urge to try buying one of the homes my friends vacated.  From time to time, I do go out and look just to see what is out there. What I find is that the people who set new home prices must not have been clued in that times are tight. I hurry home to my small, older - but paid for- home and rejoice that I can help stabilize the housing market by staying right where I am.

It really gets my attention that these are not the good old days on the rare occasion when I treat myself to a movie. Gone are the days when you could buy a ticket for a can of food, or a dollar or two - or even five or six. Once at the refreshment stand, reality sets in that going to a movie is now an expensive undertaking. Telling myself that I am helping the failing economy, sometimes I buy popcorn and a drink. Not often, though. Somehow it doesn’t taste as good when every bite, or sip, reminds me I could have bought an entire six pack of drinks and a few tubs of popcorn for the same amount of money had I just stayed home and watched a movie on TV.

Most of the time, I prepare my meals at home.  Having become aware of the rising price of food, I have decided to eat mostly raw foods, usually in the form of a green smoothie. I get my fruits and veggies in a way that doesn’t require me to use our valuable resources to heat the oven. More importantly, I improve my health, thus avoiding the skyrocketing cost of health care and being a drain on our overburdened health care system.

Once in a while, though, I like to pick up dinner from one of the restaurants on my carefully constructed route for the day.  I don’t like it, but I understand why the owners of those restaurants have decreased the amount of food while increasing the price.  They are struggling, too, to deal with today’s economy. I have sympathy for them as they search for ways to cut costs, though I am not sure how much they really save by eliminating the little mints, or the fortune cookies, that come with some of my favorite meals.

So, I try to do my part to help with the economy. I try to be a responsible citizen.  Most of the time I do it without complaining.  Lately, though, I have become aware of a situation that makes me wonder if all of the stress is affecting the reasoning ability of some restaurant owners. Is their ability to think logically being hampered by their concern over rising prices and decreasing profits?

The first few times it happened, I wrote it off as an oversight on the part of an employee.  After having it happen several times at a couple of my favorite restaurants, I decided it  must be part of their cost cutting strategy. When I picked up my less dinner for more money, I found it came with no eating utensils. I am guessing that the stressed out business owners assume take out customers are headed home and can use their own forks. I, however, am usually on the way to someplace when I stop for food.  If heading home, I could wait and have my economy friendly and healthy green smoothie.

Several times I met the challenge of eating my dinner without utensils by fashioning a makeshift fork out of the top of my drink cup. The novelty of that soon wore off, however. Rather than complain to the already overwhelmed restaurant owners, I just took things in my own hands and packed a little bag of plastic forks to keep with me in the car.  I even threw in some of those little mints.

I understand about the economy. I am more than willing to do my civic duty. I have given up long drives in the country, setting the AC lower than 78, buying candy at the movies and leaving my old fashioned light bulbs burning if I am out of the room. I can do without many things we, as Americans, have taken for granted for so long. But tell me, please, why did they have to take my fork?