Fangirling as a Coping Strategy

First, I hope that photo of a crowd doesn’t give anyone the jitters. I know I’m not the only person who watches TV or movies and freaks out about how close the actors stand to one another.

I was chatting with a neighbor—while maintaining appropriate social distancing—and she commented that she’s so hypervigilant right now that watching TV seems surreal. She has three young children, and she said they’re struggling to understand why they can’t play with their friends like they used to. So, any improper social distancing bothers her.

It will be interesting to see how long it takes before we feel comfortable standing close to anyone who doesn’t live in our homes when the worst of this crisis has passed.

I’m about halfway through N.K. Jemisin’s “The City We Became.” Folks, I would call this book a must-read, no matter what kind of books you prefer.

As I’ve noted before, I’m a huge fan of Ms. Jemisin’s work. I’ll read any and every book with her name on it. She’s just that good.

But “The City We Became” is a must-read for readers or writers of SFF. And it’s a must-read for anyone who loves the city of New York.

Jemisin’s novel includes eldritch fighting and racial politics. It’s also a love letter to all the communities and people who make New York City the amazing place it is. Reading it makes me miss living in Brooklyn.

We are working our way through the six Tolkien films. We saw the first and third Hobbit movies in the theatre but somehow missed the second. We just finished part three last night. Next will come the extended editions of The Lord of the Rings.

Last weekend, we watched Rogue One and the sequel trilogy Star Wars films. And I have a feeling a full rewatch of the nine (or perhaps all eleven) films may be coming up soon.

We’ve also been tuning in to DJ D-Nice’s Club Quarantine parties on Instagram. He’s a national treasure, and I hope more people will recognize his work. Music has really been an escape for us and helps keep some of the fear at bay.

What strategies are you using to cope? Any favorite websites, books, or other distractions? I’d love to hear about them, so please comment and let me know.

I hope everyone stays safe.

(Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash)