So Much to Feel Good About

Welcome to the Midweek Mashup!  I know… there’s a lot of bad news these days, and anxiety is running high.  I can see it in my massage clients- it seems like a record high number of them are coming in because they “just need to relax.”  In light of that, I’d like to share a few articles that may make us all feel better.

1. The pandemic is on its way out, but SARS-CoV-2 is here to stay.

This article explains why you can stop worrying about Covid.  It gets a little technical about how the immune system works, but the general takeaways are:

• The reason why it was dangerous in the first place was that it was novel, meaning no one had immunity to it.
• Eventually it will spread through the population, and everyone will be exposed to it, either through infection or vaccination.
• Antibodies are fleeting, but you don’t need them- once you’ve been exposed, the T cells in your immune system remember the virus- and T cell memory lasts a very long time.
• Viruses mutate very slowly, and your T cells will recognize a variant as the same virus.
• You won’t be immune from infection, but your T cells will fight the virus quickly enough to keep you from getting seriously ill.
• Everyone will probably be mildly infected with a variation of Covid every couple of years (kind of like the common cold) and this will act as a little immunity “booster.”
• The elderly and immunocompromised population will most likely get a vaccine booster periodically- just like they get a flu shot.
• Voila!  We’ll live with Covid, but it won’t continue to disrupt our lives.

2. The perception that everyone else is awful is evidence that everything is alright.

This article by Mark Manson explains why, even though our country feels so divided right now, this is actually an example of “evolutionary stable strategy.”  He explains that a species survives and thrives by having a diversity of traits within the population.

He goes on to argue that this is why democratic societies are more successful than tyrannies.  Democracies embrace diversity.  Although diversity means differences and conflict, it’s also healthy.  According to Manson, “The fact that we’re exposed to enough diversity of thought and lifestyle to be so annoyed by everyone demonstrates that the system is working.”

I know…. it’s a tough sell.   Would we really want a society where everyone thought the exact same way?  Hmmm, as tempting as it is to say yes, when other people aggravate us maybe it will help to remember our society is better with a healthy dose of diversity.

3. Wait!  Isn’t this a running blog???

This article by Peter Bromka is a “love letter to marathon training.”  He ruminates on what exactly lies ahead for him in his upcoming marathon buildup- the hunger, time, patience, emotion, and the satisfaction that all go into marathon training.  Get ready for the quote of the week:

“Those of us fortunate enough to arrive in summer ‘21 vaccinated and strong, able to breathe deeply without concern and push ourselves without hesitation, have had a year to better realize that a marathon place or personal best cannot define the worth of a running life well lived.”

Peter Bromka publishes a weekly newsletter called “The Positive Split.”  Check it out for some more beautiful writing about our sport.

Did I cheer everyone up?   Okay, maybe you’re still worried about Covid and upset about the political situation in our country, but at least we have running- something we can always be grateful for if we’re able to do it.

How’s your week going?  Are you able to get out and run?