Just a thought… Fear is temporary. Regret is forever. [Author Unknown]
Another day, another journal. Yay! Glad you’re here. Glad we all are, for that matter.
A friend sent me this on Monday and I want to share this link. In case you or someone you know is struggling with addiction – especially, in this case, to alcohol – here’s a link that may come in handy. It’s for people who aren’t going to meetings, but still want to stay connected.
As I’ve followed the developments of the past week or so, my anxiety has been ramping up – and I’m not usually even prone to it. But hearing about border closures and so forth, and the uncertainty of our times, certainly can up-end anyone’s psyche. So here you go.
Another way to take our mind off things is to escape into some good TV. If you’ve been catching up or bingeing, please do share your recommendations at my Facebook page.
For Rob and me, it’s been a chance to clear off all of those Jeopardy episodes that piled up while we had company. We compete with (okay, yell at) each other, pause the PVR when I’m struggling to come up with a question like: “Who is Dalton Trumbo?” and just keep our wits sharp.
As a sidebar, Jeopardy helped me to get my brain functioning properly again after getting sober. My mind was one thing I didn’t want to waste (along with everything else) and this game has been an incredible aid. I highly recommend it!
We’ve also enjoyed tremendously the new CNN series The Windsors. It’s a little bit of The Crown but it’s a documentary with commentary from historians, acquaintances and former employees of the royal family, accompanied by scads of TV and film footage. Well worth your time.
And if you’ve got a lot of it, as so many do these days, find yourself some Ken Burns, why don’t you? The most famous name on a team that has brought us mine-deep dives into baseball, jazz, US National Parks, the Civil War and more, the latest offering from Burns and co. is about country music.
It starts by digging into the roots of the genre and the first few episodes may be a little tough going (particularly if you get your fill of the Carter Family early on) but it’s fascinating, well-told and overflowing with facts that pop back into my head day after day.
If you get the sense we appreciate a good documentary or true story, you’d be right. The loudly and rightfully-lauded story of the Central Park Five – now the Exonerated Five – is worth looking up. Titled When They See Us, it’s exasperating, horrifying, inspiring and a crystal clear reminder of how hysteria can turn people into monsters.
(You may recall that one Donald J. Trump took out full-page newspaper ads calling for their execution, something which he has never recanted and for which he’s not apologized. I guess Obama made him do it.)
As for good ol’ dramas, Succession is one I can’t get out of my head. It’s about the inner machinations of a super-rich media family (the father seems to be a combination of Rupert Murdoch and Donald Trump) and is taut, well-written and, yes, profane at times.
As we watched the first few episodes, Rob and I struggled with the fact that we couldn’t root for any of these despicable characters! But believe me, they grow on you. We blazed through seasons one and two and anxiously await a third, which we’re hearing there will be.
Of course, this pandemic is shutting down all production. I’m already missing my late night laughs, plus the acerbic Bill Maher and the brilliant John Oliver (whose final show – for now – is on HBO and is must-see).
There are far more important things than people providing us with entertainment right now, so the best thing we can do is find our own. Watch those shows you promised you’d get to “one day” and indulge in a little guilty pleasure.
We are all just trying to get through this safely, with our health and our sanity intact.
And so, on that note, thanks for coming by. And again, feel free to share your recommendations on my Facebook page. Talk to you here tomorrow!