COVID week 4

Creature Comforts

Hello everyone, I hope you are well. I am writing on week 4 of the Corona crisis, day 27. This is Holy Week in the Christian faith. Today is Good Friday, the day that Christians mark as Christ’s crucifixion. Easter Sunday is this coming Sunday, the day that marks Christ’s resurrection and ascension to heaven. This is also Passover week in the Jewish faith, which celebrates their freedom from slavery and exodus from Egypt. Happy Passover and Happy Easter to everyone that celebrates.

This is a time of great comfort to many in the Judeo-Christian faiths. It is unique this year, of course, as the majority of the United States is under self quarantine at home. Yet in this time of isolation, we are in greater need of comfort. 

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I am concerned for the country and the world, and I ponder what our future will look like. At the same time, I am able to enjoy the creature comforts at home. I’ve been coloring in a coloring book, writing, eating great food, cuddling with my cats. In fact, here I am relaxing on the couch...

....with my cats on my lap and by my side.

That being said, I had a moment of anxiety this past week-I ran out of notebooks! For a writer, it’s a horrible thing to be without a notebook. I normally have one notebook in every room of my home. I currently have six notebooks, that I have had for a year or more. I use these notebooks to write everything: letters, grocery lists, thoughts and musings, and more. 

Again, I have had these notebooks for over a year. It just so happened that I used up all of the paper in three notebooks! What a fluke to run out of paper in half of my notebooks in one week! I am left with three notebooks: one a dream journal, one a small, pocket sized notebook that I keep in my purse, and one notebook that a student might use, with 8 1/2 x 11 paper inside it. 

I understand how frivolous it sounds, to be worried about not having something to write in. It is such a trivial concern in these times. Yet, I do experience a momentary feeling of anxiety when I do not have a notebook to write in. I wrote about it last year: 

http://letrasalaluna.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-notebook.html

In truth, I have different ways in which to write. I have a smartphone, a tablet, and a computer. I can write using any one of these items. Yet, it is not the same. In the midst of my anxiety I remembered that I had another notebook I had forgotten about, one that I had purchased to take notes in meetings at work. 

It felt amazing to find this notebook, find a pen, and begin writing again. Writing with pen and paper versus writing on a computer or tablet is vastly different. I compare it to reading a book-an actual, tangible book in your hands-versus reading a book on a tablet or smartphone. The reading of the material is the same, yet the experience is markedly different. Sitting on my couch, writing in this newly found notebook, gave me such a sense of comfort. I sit with pen on paper and let the thoughts flow.

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It is the often the little things, in these times, that bring us comfort. A phone call from a friend or loved one. A note or card in the mail. A text from a loved one. Face Timing a far away relative. Watching a movie, or series of movies, you love. Watching a TV you used to love. Listening to music you love. Cooking a meal that provides you comfort. It is important to fill our souls, to find comfort in the little things in life.

There has been a recent experience in society that correlates to this notion of comfort-“Collective Nostalgia.” The term defines when people long for a different time. Sociologists have found that in the U.S., there is a collective nostalgia for earlier, less stressful times. The time frame that is cited to bring the most comfort: before the September 11th terrorist attacks in 2001. 

There are harmful aspects of collective nostalgia, as the world witnessed in the 2016 Presidential election. The current “President” harnessed the feeling into a catchphrase using only four words: “Make America Great Again.”

Despite the negative effects of collective nostalgia, it can be helpful as well. In the past few years, this feeling has been prevalent in popular culture. It’s the reason so many TV shows became popular again-"Friends"- and why so many TV shows have created reboots, modern versions of the classic television shows-"Fuller House", "The Connors", "The Dark Crystal", "Beverly Hills 90210", "Will and Grace", etc.

“A lot can be said for nostalgia’s benefits. In a 2012 study published in the journal Memory, Routledge and his colleagues showed that nostalgizing helps people relate their past experiences to their present lives in order to make greater meaning of it all. The result can boost their mood and reduce stress. "Nostalgia increases feelings of social connectedness to others," he says. "Nostalgia makes people feel loved and valued and increases perceptions of social support when people are lonely."

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/benefits-of-nostalgia_n_4031759

I will confess that I have been watching stress free television shows, a true example of escapism, to find a sense of comfort. Here are some of the shows I have been watching: 

-FRIENDS-TBS-HBO

-Julie’s Greenroom-Netflix

-The Muppet Show

-Kidding-Showtime

-Nailed It-Netflix

-Highway to Heaven-Netflix

-Sesame Street-PBS, HBO

-High School Musical-Disney Plus

-The Aquarium-Animal Planet

-The Great British Baking Show-PBS, Netflix

I also watched some of the Marvel movies, including "Infinity War" and "Endgame." It's impossible to watch Endgame and not think of what is happening in the world right now.

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As the numbers of COVID cases and deaths of the disease rise, it is important to turn off the news from time to time. These are uncertain times. Most people alive today have never lived through anything like this. 

Be good to yourself. Reach out to friends and family. Read a book. Write. Learn to knit. Learn a new language. Spend quality time with your children. Cuddle up with your pets. Lose yourself in a good book. Watch a movie marathon. Meditate. Exercise. Pray. Fix your favorite meal. Have your favorite meal from your favorite restaurant delivered. Take a long hot bath. Sing along to your favorite movie musical. Eat the cookie. Drink the wine. Drink a beer. (*everything in moderation.)

Fill your soul. Give yourself comfort when you need it. Don’t judge yourself for needing comfort. 

Take care of yourself so you can care for others. Practice social distancing. Wash your hands. Save a life, stay at home. Make yourself a creature of comfort.