Seven things I learnt from elementary parallel universing in the past few weeks.

 

1. Jake, a guy down the road, was also having trouble getting a plumber to fix a bit of spouting, but that was five years ago. The job has since been done but now Jake would like to find a good lawn mowing contractor to mow his lawns. Also, it's not worth Jake upgrading his lawnmower if he's planning on getting someone in to do it. 
2. A lady I talked to at a chemist shop said her husband had also tried to find some N95 face masks but, just like the short conversation we'd just had about me being unable to purchase any, he was unable to purchase any too. Coincidence.
3. I was told it's quite hard to get the canned tomatoes you are after in Taupo too. So, it's not just Nuova Lazio. The person I talked to even tried to get her son to find some when he was passing through Napier. It appears he had no luck.
4. It seems that when we get windy days in Nuova Lazio they get them over the hill in Lower Hutt too. At least, that's what I was told when I mentioned our windy days.
5. I've seen a lot of cars running red lights lately. Another man in the dairy I entered, after both of us seeing a car do this, was able to inform me that a lot of people run red lights in Palmerston North. At that point I knew that I didn't live in the only place where this happens. My sighting seemed to lose a bit of its sting.
6. I had a little violin gig about a week ago. A lady came up and told me that her daughter also plays violin. She's evidently very talented and plays in the school orchestra. I was starting to think that I might be the only person who plays the violin but no, there is also a very talented lady doing it out there.
7. My elderly neighbour noticed me limping a bit. I told her about my sore foot and how it hurt quite a bit - hence, I suppose, the limp. She was able to tell me that her brother in Nelson had a sore foot, about thirty years ago, that caused him to limp for a few weeks. Interesting.

Why don't you strike up a conversation where a bit of elementary parallel universing will shift the emphasis from what you are saying? At the very least you will learn that you are not alone.