The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages us to “Be Kind to our Mind.” One of its recommendations to reduce anxiety during the coronavirus outbreak is to take a break from watching TV news and reading social media posts that get your blood boiling.
Not an easy thing for a news junkie and longtime newspaperman like me.
But, my wife and I have stopped watching the network evening news. The first 15 minutes every night are relentlessly grim, and not good for our mental health. Watching it makes me crave carbs and ensures a night of restless sleep. I’m filled with anger every time I see a certain jackass with carrot-colored hair stoking the fire and ire by encouraging states to liberate themselves, abandon social distancing and refusing to wear a face mask.
We used to watch CBS’ coverage with Norah O’Donnell. The reporting is first-rate, and she always ends the broadcast with a feel-good positive story that involves a woman of accomplishment, cute dogs or average people doing extraordinary things. And Steve Hartman’s Friday night “On the Road” reports are the best thing on TV.
We now limit ourselves to one 30-minute local newscast a day. Most Boston stations do a good job reporting the news.
It doesn’t take much to set me off these days. I’m ready to scream when I see people filling their gas tanks, standing at the pump without wearing a mask or gloves. I stop short of telling them to “Wear a freakin’ face mask” out of fear I might get shot. Few folks I encounter during my daily walks seem interested in social distancing; only about 20 percent wear a mask, despite Gov. Baker’s guidelines.
But now I’m going to embrace the CDC’s recommendations. I’m going to focus instead on the things in my life for which I’m grateful. I won’t sweat the small stuff. I’ll breathe deeply and exhale slowly. Laughter is the best medicine, after all, even if there are fewer things to laugh about these days. Optimism is my new normal.
I can’t imagine the stress our front-line health care providers and first responders are dealing with. I can’t imagine how parents can balance work and family, working from home, with bosses and children demanding their attention, while trying to stay positive for the kids’ sake while they deal with financial worries and possible unemployment..
In the grand scheme of things I’m more than lucky. I’m blessed. I have so much to be thankful for.
The late British punk rocker Ian Dury, who at age 7 contracted polio that left him disabled but refused to let it stop his dreams from coming true, wrote a silly-but-wise song, “Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part Three,” that’s basically a list of things that make him happy. It starts, “Reasons to be cheerful, 1, 2, 3/Summer, Buddy Holly, the working folly/Good Golly, Miss Molly and boats/Hammersmith Palais, the Bolshoi Ballet/Jump back in the alley and nanny goats.”
Here are a few of my reasons to be cheerful, part one:
- My wife unexpectedly rubbing my shoulders, or baking her world-famous lemon tea bread, even though she doesn’t eat it, because she knows I love it.
- Family and good friends. I’m thankful we are all healthy and well. I look forward to our silly Zoom parties, where we catch up and toast one another with an adult beverage. At our recent virtual Cinco de Mayo party, my sister Fay showed off a little trophy she won years ago for being runner-up in a tennis doubles tournament. “There were only two teams in our bracket, and we finished second,” she said, while we all shared a cathartic laugh.
- Sunny days, bicycling, bunnies, birds at the feeder, flowers, yard work, comedy, reading biographies, Hallmark movies. I’m grateful golf courses have reopened. The Newport Folk Festival, Boston Calling, shows at Lynn Auditorium … I really miss the concert-going experience.
- Neighbors. We look out for each other and check in if one of us is going food shopping. We’re the old folks on the road now. Seems like yesterday we were the new kids on the block.
- I’m thankful I have a roof over my head. I’m thankful our fridge is well-stocked. I’m thankful there’s heat, hot and cold water, electricity … not everyone is so fortunate.
- I’m grateful for all those on the front lines who face risks daily taking care of us, whether they’re working in hospitals, supermarkets, hardware stores, and the like.
- I’m grateful to truck drivers, who deliver essential items so our cupboards and pantries aren’t bare. I especially toast the unheralded men and women who deliver my favorite beer to the local packie.
- I’m thankful that I have a job I love, and that I’ve been able to earn a living as a newspaperman, doing what I love for my entire adult life. I’m grateful that my paycheck is deposited, without fail, into my bank account every Thursday.
- I’m thankful for my employer, Essex Media Group, its publisher, Ted Grant, and his team of investors, who all have strong ties to Lynn, for their commitment to making sure our readers receive up-to-date news in their communities. Profit has never been the paramount concern, a good thing since advertising has pretty much dried up during the pandemic. They know that Lynn needs this newspaper more than ever. Local journalism is struggling, and it has never been more important than it is now, in this brave and grave new world. I’m equally thankful for my co-workers, a uniquely talented group doing a remarkable job under difficult circumstances.
- I’m grateful to Item readers, who are willing to share their personal stories with me, foolishly encourage me to write some pretty silly columns, and aren’t shy about letting me know when I’m full of crap.
Indeed, I have many, many reasons to be cheerful.
What are your Reasons to be Cheerful during the pandemic? Please share them with us.
