I need an injection of energy, as we face another day of sameness. Stretch. Run. Blog. Watch. Eat. Eat. Nap. Eat. Wine. Watch. Read. Bed. Repeat. In between, are a few short outings with the dog, but otherwise every action is pretty much “Groundhog Day.” A couple of short conversations with friends add some variety, but overall I’m getting a troublesome case of “Cabin Fever.” We don’t even live in a cabin!

“Cabin fever refers to the distressing claustrophobic irritability or restlessness experienced when a person, or group, is stuck at an isolated location or in confined quarters for an extended period of time. A person may be referred to as stir-crazy, derived from the use of stir to mean ‘prison’.” All this according to Wikipedia. 

It seems like years since the movie theaters have been open, but a good example of “Cabin Fever” is a recent psychological horror film, The Lighthouse. “It’s the tale of two lighthouse keepers who start to lose their sanity when a storm strands them on the remote island where they are stationed.” Isolation from civilization does strange things to people. Stories like Crime and Punishment and The Shining are classic examples. They prove that you can bore yourself to death!

I am a little stir-crazy, even though I sometimes relish just being alone. Killing something or somebody has yet to come to mind of late. I used to dread going to networking events, parties, fundraisers, and conventions where there was never any privacy. Admittedly, there were times when I would have killed to just stay home. Now, it’s just my wife and I confined in an apartment with our travel dreams on hold. Our main entertainment is television and Tally, our ten-year old schnauzer. Tally leads a lazy life in “good bed,” but is always anxious for a walk. It’s these brief encounters with the outdoors that keep our family sane. Tally leads us away from the television and out of the cabin!