Saturday, January 2, 2021

Comfort


My husband and I often watch reruns of MASH while we enjoy our evening meal. It is true, we are on a slippery slope toward being a TV tray couple. Be that as it may, we rarely tire of the antics of the 4077 gang and it always seems better with dinner and dessert.

Recently, during a commercial break, I made the comment, "I think I should get a comfort monkey."

Silence.

More silence.

My husband finally looked at me and asked, "What are you talking about?" I could see in his eyes that he was hoping the drug commercials would soon be over so we could return to the show rather than explore the current non sequitur conversation. 

Not willing to be stopped, I clarified my comment. "I feel I am going to suffer from a form of PTSD if and when we get through this C-19 stuff and I may need some kind of animal to keep me company when I go out and about. It would be like those folks who have little dogs or iguanas or some type of animal to calm them down." 

More silence.

Finally, my husband, a man of precise and carefully chosen words, said, "I feel like an animal would cause you more stress."

Wiser words were never spoken. 

The truth of the matter is I have a complicated relationship with most animals, despite my upbringing on a farm. I am terrified of dogs. Chickens have a psychotic dark side. Cattle are best viewed behind fences. Mice make me shudder. Raccoons are shifty. Monkeys have scary hands. Pigs have grunty appetites. And opossums, don't get me started.

I like cats, perhaps due to their aloofness and independent nature. Birds always make me smile, albeit an ostrich might give me pause. Bugs, spiders and snakes are neutral for me, unless venom or constriction is involved. 

Clearly, my list of acceptable animals would likely not make very good in-public-comfort animals as most of them have issues with social skills. And my husband is correct in that any animal would give me stress as I am not one who enjoys the care and maintenance of indoor litter boxes, cages, and food bowls. I will have to adopt different ways to cope with the aftermath of the past year.  

2020 was a devil of a year and its ramifications are not over yet. Without a doubt many of us will be in need of comfort as we continue to move forward in 2021. I will not be using a comfort monkey but I plan on using my tried and true techniques.

For starters, a stack of library books gives me joy. The fermentation projects fizzing away on my counter give my gut microbiotica a happy treat. A bubbling pot of soup can calm the edgiest of days. Phone calls with friends and family help shift perspectives when gray clouds gather. A DVD workout reminds me to keep active, albeit begrudgingly. And there is nothing like another episode of MASH to point out that problems are a part of living.

Cheers to a New Year! May you find what comforts you.   


A Christmas gift from my husband
included, Sven, a comfort reindeer. 



2 comments:

  1. This is hilarious! It's been a while since I've read your blog and you have not lost your comedic twist on life :)

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    1. Welcome back! I appreciate your kind words!

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