In 1965, a British musical group called Hedgehoppers Anonymous released a song called “It’s Good News Week,” a satirical and rather gruesome song about the state of the world at the time.

I enjoy listening to that song sometimes when things go crazy because it reminds me there are worse things in the world than the problems confronting me at the moment and because I like good satire, regardless of how cruel it may be (Robert Louis Stevenson’s “A Modest Proposal” comes to mind).

Let’s think for a moment; what is worse than being stuck in the house because of the COVID-19 pandemic?

How about facing a hurricane? Those storms force us to leave our homes and can cause expensive and serious damage to property.

Tornadoes? Living in a tornado corridor like Dixie Alley, we’re all too familiar with the terror the word brings, the challenge of having a few minutes to flee or hide (which is why I’d rather deal with hurricanes) and the destruction these storms bring.

COVID-19. While I’m making this list, we might as well include the cause of the shelter-in-place orders. There are many stories about people having and surviving the disease in various forms. So it makes sense to do what we can to avoid it. My sister-in-law and her husband in Missouri have just recovered from the virus. I talked to her on the phone last week. “You don’t want this,” she told me.

Floods. We all know about floods. Like tornadoes and hurricanes, they force people out of their homes and create damage that takes years to clean and repair.

Ebola. Years ago, I read Richard Preston’s book, “The Hot Zone” about Ebola and the case that was discovered in a primate lab in Virginia, I believe, but didn’t mutate. If I remember the book, I believe Preston said Ebola does in 10 days what it takes AIDS years to do.

Remember the scare several years ago when the disease spread? For a brief period, we were concerned about the spread of the virus here.

The Marburg virus, a serious disease similar to Ebola.

Missing sports. I know this is more of a “guy thing” than anything else, but let’s face it, having Major League baseball on the tube would make staying at home a little bit easier, and perhaps maybe you get some new converts.

Some of the sports networks have been rebroadcasting baseball and college and NFL football games from past seasons. The past games are no substitute for momma’s love or a fresh-baked apple pie, but they have been enjoyable.

I’ve been able to enjoy LSU beating Alabama again and relive the Tigers’ national championship win over Clemson.

OK, that’s my list of things worse than being sheltered in place. They are, of course, open for debate, and you can make your own list. Just remember, no matter what your problem with being shut in is, someone somewhere has got it worse than you.

Keep patient; the end is around the corner.

 

John Surratt is a staff writer for The Vicksburg Post. He can be reached at john.surratt@vicksburgpost.com.