Flu in the Cuckoo's Next

When I was younger, I played lots of different sports, but my favorite was–and still is–baseball. I used to get mad at millionaire players sitting out with injuries. All that money and they can’t do their job over a pulled hamstring? Of course, one day I was playing flag football with friends and pulled my hamstring. I couldn’t walk for weeks, and I never second-guessed the pros like that again.

Now, I’ve never let a sickness keep me out of work for more than a couple days, but I recently got the flu. Not a cold, mind you, but 100% genuine influenza. Except I didn’t know that at first. All I knew was that beyond the runny nose, pounding head, fever, and deep ache in my bones, I couldn’t lift my head off the pillow for three days. Ordinarily I wouldn’t think much about it–I’m 59, so it could just be me taking longer to fight off whatever it was.

In today’s world of instant information, it’s impossible not to know what’s going on. And so of course my brain starts in on the ‘what ifs.’ What if it’s a cold? What if it’s the flu? What if it’s…

CORONA VIRUS?

Because of a lifelong (misguided) idea that going to the doctor was a sign of weakness, I’ve always been slow to seek medical help. My wife assured me it wasn’t, but she was concerned that I was still in bed complaining, and got me an appointment.

Not Corona. Just the flu, though ‘just’ doesn’t convey the horribleness of things. It got me thinking: Why do I always expect the worst even though we don’t want to? Is it really all the news that’s being thrown at us constantly minute by minute or is it something deeper? Why so much fear?

I’ve lived with irrational fears my whole life. Then there is real fear. How do we know the difference? If I was tough enough to ‘drop my amour’ and tell someone what I was feeling decades ago, I would have probably never have had to be so tormented by anxiety for all those years.

So sure, take precautions for whatever is out there. But remember, asking for help and information is not a sign of weakness–it’s a sign of strength and intelligence. Be well!