Monday musings on watching tv during a pandemic

In a number of my writing groups, the conversation has come up about writing books set during 2020 and into 2021. How will we, as writers, handle the pandemic? I've so far, avoided having to address that, setting my work in progress in late 2021 when, fingers crossed, masks and social distancing and restrictions won't be a concern.

Like so many people, we've fallen into binging Netflix and Apple TV, instead of tuning into the programs we normally would have been watching. Last month, however, we started playing catch up with a couple of the programs. Some programs have moved on as though life hasn't changed. Those, interestingly enough, don't bother me. 

But there are a couple of programs that are dealing with the pandemic and those, I was surprised to discover, make me uncomfortable. 

We've kept a very low profile since the beginning of this. We have groceries delivered except for the occasional trip when I really need something and can't get a delivery slot; our only interaction with friends is outside, socially distanced, and even then limited to only a handful of people; my son is doing virtual school and my husband works from a home office in the basement; and the only other place we go, is the climbing gym where they're doing a good job of keeping numbers down with reservation blocks and reduced occupancy, and constant cleaning. 

I admit that I get twitchy when we are out and I see someone not wearing a mask or not wearing it properly, or if I'm in line at the store and someone gets too close. 

So, when a character takes their mask off in a public place or around other people or doesn't socially distance, I cringe and comment and my family threatens to ban me from watching that program.

What I've learned, is that I'm not nearly as okay as I like to pretend I am. It comes in waves and it hits at weird times and I'm often surprised at what triggers it. Maybe, at least for now, I need to stick with binge-watching pre-2020 programs. 

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