Little Adventure In The Covid-19 Zone: The Mental Paralysis Side Effect

“Sometimes an unwanted adventure is thrust upon you. Make the most of it.”

Anita Borgo (after she finally commanded Alexa to switch off the TV).

A little over a month ago I eagerly anticipated our three week Italian vacation- a week each in Rome, Sicily, and Amalfi. 

Then the Coronavirus headlines emerged. 

My thoughts went from “The Coronavirus is in China. That’s a LONG way from Italy” to “The Coronavirus is in Milan. That’s a LONG way from Rome.” to “The Coronavirus is in Europe. That’s a LONG way from America.”

Then our schools closed.

Then my part time wine consumer educator jobs halted.

Then my gym shuttered.

We unplanned the Italian vacation with less enthusiasm and more complications than planning it had taken.

With Alexa at my command I watched as the number of Covid-19 cases increased and the stock market decreased. I watched and listened and worried and didn’t move from the couch. I might miss a hopeful statistic or a jump in the Dow.

Reports of the maligned Colvin brothers who stashed 1800 bottles of hand sanitizer in their garage amazed me. How did they have the energy to drive around and schlep all those boxes? The thought of schlepping laundry to the washing machine paralyzed me. The thought of doing ANYTHING paralyzed me. 

Then with a surge of will power spurred by the recognition that I’m not dead or sick (only scared) I limited the media input so that I could have output. . . any kind of output. 

I began to write again.