As I sit here and think, I wonder if what we are doing is really the right thing. I say “we” as in a collective whole. It’s one of the many things that keep me up at night in bed. These thoughts lead me into thinking what I might or have to do should my family be put in a bad situation, worse than what we are all facing. Some people are overstepping their boundaries in one form or another, but overall, can we do better? If our grandchildren looked back to this time and determined that we aren’t already doing the best we can, could we blame them? What are we expected to do in this scenario? We could compare it to the previous and similar situation that got us with the Spanish Flu in mid-1918 to the early 1920’s (https://www.livescience.com/spanish-flu.html). That is the closest reaction to the virus pandemic with similarities of COVID-19. Very few are still alive today who went through the last pandemic. Some of them have claimed that the widespread panic that we see today has happened back during the Spanish Flu.
As we all head toward third month of stay-at-home shelter-in-place, executive order (even though some states are loosening up), people’s day-to-day lives are becoming paired with an increasingly strange and vivid dreams while there are others who are experiencing insomnia, an inability to fall asleep. Both seem to be symptoms of stress, part of the shared anxiety surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether it’s insomnia, strange dreams, or even sleeping too much, sleep disturbances are part of our body’s response to trauma and anxiety. Everyone will react to these situations differently. People will react in some of the most outlandish ways, reacting to what they are experiencing on the inside, along with what is going on outside. Thus, creating sort of a “COVID-19 PTSD”, if you will (https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200507/ptsd-may-plague-many-covid-19-survivors#1). The prolonged and unique stresses imparted by the COVID-19 pandemic has many predicting a significant rise in mental health issues in the weeks, months, and years ahead (https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/930150).
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, more people are experiencing nightmares involving new laws of social distancing, other people coughing on them, crowding too close in elevators, and not wearing masks. Some compare these nocturnal visions to those suffered by people with post-traumatic stress disorder after the Gulf War or 9/11 (https://www.wired.com/story/coronavirus-covid-19-dreams/). In part, the similarities between pandemic dreams and anxiety dreams of the past are because the brain reacts to stress in characteristic ways. In stressful situations, people’s sleep may be more broken than usual, causing them to leave and enter REM sleep more frequently, can increase the likelihood that dreams are remembered the next day. Institutions around the world have been collecting examples of dreams since the outset of the pandemic, and some researchers found a 35% increase in dream recall since lockdown (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/04/coronavirus-pandemic-is-giving-people-vivid-unusual-dreams-here-is-why/#close).
Medical experts and scientists say that it is understandable to feel anxious and worried about what may happen, especially when many aspects of life are being affected during COVID-19. They suggest that if you find that you are getting more stressed by watching or reading the news, you should reduce your intake, particularly prior to sleep. Realizing that while circumstances may be stressful and beyond your control, you can try to offset them with more positive calming activities. Something else you can do is to practice slow, steady breathing, and muscle relaxation, as well as any other actions that are calming for you such as yoga, exercise, music, keeping the mind occupied with hobbies (https://www.ptsd.va.gov/covid/COVID_managing_stress.asp). Doing these simple, little things can prevent you from experiencing a panic attack or injury that may result into something worse.
Let’s talk about that news intake for a moment because that could be an factor as to way you may be experiencing the symptoms of stress, anxiety, sleeping difficulty, strange dreams, and maybe PTSD. The news, itself, seems to be more doom & gloom, especially where the Mainstream news is concerned with all the COVID-19 pandemic. If you notice, very rarely do they talk about the survivors, those people who come through and recover from this coronavirus. I, for one, have talked about several elderly people who are around the age of 100 who got diagnosed with COVID-19 and recovered from it on my show whenever I see a new story come up from a reliable source (https://fox4kc.com/news/im-a-warrior-not-a-worrier-local-world-war-ii-veteran-earns-new-medals-after-beating-covid-19/). Anytime I see a story that is positive, I want to share it on my show with my listeners. If we could focus more on the positive, I think we might be looking at this in a whole new light instead of what the media would prefer.
If you haven’t noticed, the Mainstream media acts like TV meteorologist. Being that I live and broadcast my show from within Tornado Alley (https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/climate-information/extreme-events/us-tornado-climatology/tornado-alley), I feel it is a valid comparison between the two, as they are also linked to each other in some ways. Now I love a good Severe Thunderstorm, I’ve chased them, reported from them, had my fair share of getting pelted by large hail, blown sideways, and drenched in rain. All that still excites me enough to want to go back out and do it all again. To be a storm chaser, it is part of the gig, it’s just too bad I didn’t get paid to do it all. Again it was something I love to do when I can. One thing I never believed in was the hype that a weatherman on TV would give a storm that was moving toward my direction. I had enough experience and knowledge (limited) to know that you can’t always rely on radar, satellite, and computers to show you how bad the storm really is. You have to be out there to see it first hand. So whenever a TV Meteorologist would come on and start doing a “scare-cast” while showing all the pretty colors on the radar screen, pictures of the clouds, giver their opinions /diagnosis, and talking about the predicted possibilities of these storms using copy notes from the National Weather Service, I would listen for keywords to determine if it was a “Bravo-Sierra” update or not.
The same technique can be done with the mainstream news reporting. The only big difference is that the news is more blatant about it. They use their fancy TV graphics, bring on experts (many of them questionable at best on some networks), they like using pretty labels when talking about certain people, and give you their opinion more than the news. They, too, will give you the hype of a “Major” story, too “Big” to miss. It’s very similar to how TV Weather Meteorologist do, but without the live video call in’s from actual credited storm spotters in the field giving you accurate descriptions and information about the storm as it pounces over their heads. However, the “hype” is to help build ratings. Some could argue that technique similar to a snake oil sales person. Just remember, Hype = Ratings = $$$. Personally, I don’t mind hyping up something if I know it’s the truth and it will be worth every penny. However, I don’t like twisting what people say, putting words in someone’s mouth, or falsifying facts to make someone pay attention to me. I always figured if I can’t be honest, then I’m doing something wrong. That’s why I could never be a sales person.
Social Media is another beast that needs to be tamed from time to time. One problem is that there is so much “misinformation” (if I may use that word at the risk of sounding cliche). In my own facebook newsfeed (https://www.facebook.com/thebigjohnshow), I see so many fake or unbelievable addresses / links / sources that people share. I don’t know if it is facebook bots saying that the people are posting it or not. Some of the people I know would, without a doubt, believe it if they saw it. In my humble opinion, people don’t do enough of their own research beyond social media and mainstream news (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, MSNBC, CNN, Sesame Street, Late Night Talk Shows, The View, Poteau Daily News, ect). It’s too much work to find the truth, so they repost what sounds the closest to their belief. It’s lazy and doesn’t help the common people who just want to avoid the bias. It’s one of the reasons I stopped “following” so many people on facebook.
Some of the biggest news stories continue to be from the states of California where the city of Los Angeles as of yesterday has decided to extend their “Safe-at-home” order (https://www.sfgate.com/coronavirus/article/Los-Angeles-stay-at-home-quarantine-Garcetti-COVID-15267561.php) for another two and a half months. I’m sure you can imagine this hasn’t set well with the folks in that area. Not forget to mention that Governor Gavin Newsom has an executive order that includes limiting the activities people can do on beaches (https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/10961231-181/los-angeles-county-reopens-beaches). County beaches and many city-owned beaches along the 75 miles of coastline are open only for “active recreation” such as walking, swimming and surfing. Sunbathing, picnicking and group sports such as volleyball are still banned and strangers must stay well apart. Visitors also must wear masks when they’re out of the water.
In the state of Oregon, several businesses are suing Governor Kate Brown and Oregon’s Public Health Director in a challenge against the state’s coronavirus-related shutdown orders (https://www.registerguard.com/news/20200513/several-oregon-businesses-sue-gov-brown-for-shutdown-orders). The plaintiffs argue the state seized their property by shuttering them, taking them for the “asserted public use of risk minimization,” the court documents state. The businesses reference Oregon Health Authority data showing a decline in cases or “flattening the curve” of the COVID-19 pandemic, but say the numbers are not enough to prove the shutdown was necessary.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer went on “The View” yesterday (5/19) and announced that the frequent protests overwhelming the state’s capital against her stay-at-home order are undermining the effort to stem the spread of the deadly virus (https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/michigan-gov-whitmer-protests-undermine-states-response-covid/story?id=70645516). “These protests, they do undermine the effort, and it’s very clearly a political statement that is playing out where people are coming together from across the state, they are congregating, they’re not wearing masks, they are not staying six feet apart, and then they go back home into communities and the risk of perpetuating the spread of COVID-19 is real. While I respect people’s right to dissent, they need to do it in a way that is responsible and does not put others at risk,” she said. If you ask me, she is believing “the hype” a little too much. She also mentioned in an interview that she asked Vice President Pense to call off the protesters. I don’t think he really has anything to do with protesting at the moment as his hands are already full with his daily duties.
North Carolina began Phase I of a three-step plan to re-open the state. Although they are seeing more protests from both sides of the COVID-19 line: Medical workers and business owners / employees. The group “Re-Open N.C.” has protested at the legislative building in Raleigh, North Carolina for five weeks in a row now. They’re demanding the state to re-open, not in phases, but immediately. A counter-protesting plane flew over the rally with a banner reading “fewer graves if we re-open in waves, hashtag science-saves” (https://kvoa.com/coronavirus-coverage/2020/05/12/re-open-nc-rally-attracts-counter-protest-at-state-capitol/). Others have counter-protested over the past few weeks, including healthcare workers who stood in silence, wearing masks and gowns, to make a statement. North Carolina’s phase one keeps restaurants closed except for take-out and delivery while spas, gyms, salons and larger venues like churches and movie theaters also remain closed until at least May 22nd.
It is my belief that there’s no reason for the governments in these or any other states should be so hard on it’s citizens at the expense of their dignity. Unfortunately, the news is eating all these events up. Again, you hardly hear about the good things that people are doing or about the survivors who recovered from COVID-19. It’s the old saying, “if it bleeds, it leads” (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/two-takes-depression/201106/if-it-bleeds-it-leads-understanding-fear-based-media). Traditionally, a journalists job was to just report the news, plain and simple. Now days, fear-based news stories prey on the anxieties we all have and then hold us hostage. Being glued to the television, reading the paper, or surfing the internet increases ratings and market shares, but it also raises the probability of depression relapse. Somewhere in all the mess, we lose the the narrative, or it gets twisted up for an agenda. Because of that, there are some things in the COVID-19 pandemic that don’t make sense to me.
No matter what side of the line you are on, it’s not fair to shame or ridicule the other for doing what they feel is best for them. No, you don’t have to wear a mask if you don’t want to. If you feel the need to wear a mask in public to prevent the spread of COVID-19, then do it. If you feel the need to stay home, then stay home. You don’t have to go to businesses that are open and in some cases, may be able to take advantage of delivery. It’s you doing your part to not get or spread the coronavirus with your family members. However, if you are alone in your car, I would strongly recommend not wearing a mask while driving. There was a case where a driver was wearing an N95 mask and passed out, resulting in a bad wreck involving a tree (https://www.facebook.com/LincolnParkPoliceDepartment/posts/1171691036506303).
If you are feeling any angst or ill-will toward people right now, the only thing I can say is to step back a moment, take a deep breath, and go to your happy place in your mind. Cheezy, I know, but it works. It’s either that, or turn-around and go the other way. I could recommend taking a shot of hard whiskey if you are old enough as long as you don’t get behind the wheel of a vehicle or have health issues. My point is this, we are each, individually, dealing with this situation the best way we know how. If you want real suggestions, perhaps you should go ask some of the living survivors of the Spanish Flu. They are far and few between, but I would like to know what they did. However, I got a feeling I know the answer already and it is: just keep on living. Keep on doing what you gotta do and move on. It’s the secret to any bad situation. Just do what you got to do and drive on. It’s times like these that really make me wish my dad was still alive. Like Johnny Cash sang in the song “Drive On” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CtEvMIImOc), He, like all of the soldiers who got to come home alive from Viet Nam, are all walkin’-talkin’ miracles from Viet Nam. It may not have been the same, but it was a matter of life and death in the name of freedom. My dad might know what to do.