Too easy?

IKEA carries all sorts of Swedish foods and candies. No longer do I have to yearn for the cod roe caviar or the licorice fish candy. The Brazilian store close to the Five Wounds Church carries twelve packs of Antarctica Guarana. Every simple Safeway carries artisan breads.

As with much else, it is both good and bad. It builds character to be without something for a while, to have to yearn and long and wish. Instant gratification numbs you. The soul slowly withers when there are too few challenges.A bit like living in San Jose, California: you never have to have alternate plans. The weather is always the same — 8 months of sun, 4 months of rain.