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Lynn James: Looking for distractions in this troubled time; how can we can we get a break from the virus?


It was April 2nd when I heard the news that a single day’s U.S. deaths from the coronavirus first surpassed 1,000. Only eight days later we doubled that statistic with more than 2,000 deaths in one day. The following three days, we saw the overall total coronavirus deaths climb from 20,000 to 25,000 in the United States of America. Bad statistic or good (it could be worse), it’s something that is unprecedented in our times.

The last time I checked, unfortunately the total had grown to over 50,000 U.S. deaths caused by the coronavirus. That number is guaranteed to continue growing for months and months and months to come.

The Governor at 5 p.m.

Although the coverage of this pandemic is a 24/7 phenomenon, I’ve decided it won’t be for me any longer. I can’t handle the relentless news about it. I can no longer start my day with the morning news of the coronavirus. And I do my best to keep virus news at bay during the day as long as possible.

No more 12 o’clock news for me except to catch the weather forecast. No Ohio Gov. DeWine with Dr. Acton at 2 o’clock. It’s vital information, but it’s still too early in the day, and too somber, understandably. 

I hold off watching the bad news until 5 p.m. with Kentucky Gov. Beshear followed by President Trump, if he is still speaking. I conclude with the 6:30 network news for a final update and tally of the day. That’s all I can handle in one day – a 2-hour time window.

How do I avoid it when I keep my TV on most of the day to stave off loneliness? 

I start my mornings with Me-TV which brings some laughter with shows like I Love Lucy and Leave It to Beaver. However, the Beaver lived in the days when polio was prevalent in the U.S. (It’s sad to say that polio is still prevalent in other parts of the world.)

I follow that with Let’s Make a Deal and The Price Is Right. It took some time to be comfortable seeing the contestants and hosts of the shows hugging each other and standing so close. “But these are prerecorded,” I keep telling myself. Even so, it’s hard not to cringe when contestants on The Price Is Right win a trip to China which happens quite frequently, I’ve noticed.

The Price is Right

To avoid the noon news, it’s back to Me-TV for The Waltons, one of my all-time favorites as a kid. My desire to watch it didn’t last long once I was reminded the show is set during the depression. To top it off, Grandpa Walton had a heart attack. He survived it, but it was the last episode I watched. Turning to TV didn’t work as well as I thought. 

What other distractions can we lose ourselves in to keep the virus from infecting our minds too much to be healthy?

If we are lucky enough not to be personally infected by the virus itself or know someone who is, how can the distractions of our daily, humdrum life – which occur when we’re not experiencing a pandemic – help us? Those distractions are still with us. Not the good ones; those have been limited with closed businesses, canceled events, and social distancing. But the not-so-good distractions keep on coming.

Like the automatic garage door opener malfunctioning and you pray you can lift the door without it. Or the trip to the neighborhood auto garage to have your car alarm fixed so it stops going off every time you open the door. Might as well get an oil change at the same time (I thought). Then the surprise of a repair that will cost more to fix than the car is worth. 

To rub salt in the open wound, since the repair is so vital to the car running, they won’t let you drive it home. They break the news to you very delicately though. And once you get home, you find the Duke Energy tree contractors have shaved the limbs off one side of your trees because… well because they can, and you weren’t there to talk them out of it or stand under the trees to protest.

And so the normal distractions of our normal lives continue on top of the pandemic.

Does this help us in a time like this? No, not really. In fact, many people are experiencing worse distractions than the ones I experienced in the day described above. Others already had bad things happening in their lives before this new phenomenon appeared. This latest evil apparition has only made times much worse. When bad things happen to good people, unfortunately the bad can continue compounding and pounding and pounding on our lives.

I can’t list all of them because there are too many. But here are a few that some others are experiencing.  1) Caring for others during this time of chaos whether young or old, sick or well, disabled, challenged, neither or both.  2) Already being in the middle of a financial pinch or crisis when this happened and fearing there’s no way to survive now.  3) Realizing that with or without the unemployment benefit, you are only one step away from situation #2 above. So worry is constant.  4) The lack of a desire to live even before this happened, and now that feeling intensifies. You try to ignore these thoughts. If this is you, tell your friends and family and ask for their help to get through this. They will want to help.

Some of us can say these times aren’t too bad for us, and we can hope it won’t get any worse. Those of us working from home and still receiving a paycheck. Those who have been furloughed, still have health insurance coverage, and are getting the extra $600 a week through unemployment. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have a chance to survive this. 

Finally, there’s the group that in no possible way will lose their income stream or benefits. For these lucky ones, the $1200 is a bonus! Spend it wisely. Please spend it to stimulate the economy either now or when closed businesses open up.

So which group of the above do you fall into?

For me, I still have hope I won’t be affected negatively except for the not-so-good distractions which will always be part of our lives. Reflecting on how my day of distractions ended for me, all day Monday challenged my stress level. By the end of Tuesday, relief had come in the form of two possible used cars to choose between for purchase. Now my only challenge is to get the car of my choice transferred into my name while the county offices are closed to the public. Thank goodness for the internet and a dropbox.

There was a 3rd possible offer – a gallant offer to fix my crippled car with no cost to me by a very kind and generous relative. I didn’t take that route; no reason to put anyone’s money into that beautiful baby blue car with the sunroof I so much enjoyed. It was clear to me it had driven its last day with that final trip to the garage. Goodbye, sunshine!

Later on in the week when I looked at my tortured trees again, they didn’t look as bad. New growth will come and fill in the damage. Maybe I should have the good side pruned so the trees won’t look so lopsided. The lower branches I can do myself, and I have the time right now. Being outdoors would do me good.

Did the bad events of the day I described distract me from the coronavirus like I was looking for? Oh yes, they did. I’m glad they were temporary distractions as opposed to permanent pains in my life.

I have also found more appropriate shows to watch during the day to continue my distraction from reality TV.  Starting at noon, I tune into That Girl – the brunette equivalent of Pollyanna (some of you reading this have no clue what I’m talking about in either reference). I follow that with Animals Unscripted which mostly shows cats and dogs having fun with each other; I even get to see a goat or raccoon once in awhile. It’s fun and light, and keeps me distracted in a good way. I’m able to smile, even laugh during it. Keeps my spirits up until I can return to work.

Not sure what the overall U.S. death toll is now. I try not to track it any more for my own sanity.

Instead, I pass the rest of my time connecting with friends and family either virtually or the old fashioned way of actually talking on the phone. Maybe waiting for things to get better will turn out to be my biggest challenge.

If so, I will always be grateful for that.

Lynn James is a lifelong resident of Northern Kentucky and has lived in Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties. She enjoys living and observing real life with real people.


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