Amusements for a Coronavirus Lockdown

Challenging times. Hard to keep on an even keel in these days of isolation. For some, escapism is a good coping strategy. But if you want to explore aspects of loneliness in the hope of finding understanding and answers, here are some options.

First, a subscriber suggested this as the coronavirus theme song, and I couldn’t agree more.

Warren Zevon had the uncanny ability to be funny and dark and entertaining all at the same time. He never lost his sense of humor, even after his devastating  cancer diagnosis. He was Mr. Good Example of grim determination, a brilliant songwriter who showed us how to keep smiling even when the chips are down.

Maybe movies are more your thing. Did you ever see The Omega Man?

It’s pretty good as sci-fi movies go, and features one of my favorite actors, Anthony Zerbe, in a deliciously evil role. Heston plays the last man standing after a plague wipes out everyone else on earth or turns them into zombie things. Yes, we are bad off right now, but the Omega Man had it even worse.

Did you know the pilot episode of The Twilight Zone had a similar theme?

It’s a great episode. A lot of Twilight Zone episodes deal with loneliness and isolation — Enough Time to Last and The Lonely come to mind. The outcomes are not always cheerful, but we can certainly relate with the struggles these characters face.

Splendid Books of Isolation

Getting away from screens and reading an actual book could be a good idea, with restaurants and bars being closed and all … I just ordered a book I’ve always wanted to read, A Journal of the Plague Year, by Daniel Defoe. It’s the detailed chronicle of  the bubonic plague that ravaged London in 1665. Sounds like a fun read, doesn’t it? Maybe it will have some good survival tips.

Here’s a long list of novels about isolation. It includes some really terrific, spellbinding stories that make good reading under any conditions.

(Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons)