I watch a lot of movies now. With real life indefinitely on hold, it feels like it’s one of the few things I “do.” I know there are so many other things I can be doing—I’ve been trying to get back into a reading grove for instance. But as I’ve watched more and more movies, night after night, I’ve concluded it’s just passing the time.

I watched Chef, directed by Jon Favreau, tonight for the first time. There’s so much emotion in that film. It made me realize how we’re all in a slumber right now. Covid has seemingly prevented us from “doing anything,” and so we’ve forgotten how “real life” feels; what it’s like to eat at a happening restaurant, enjoy time with family, or take a saunter down the street.

How lucky we are to feel bored or entrapped by this predicament. There are others who are struggling, who are starving, who are surviving. I try to remember that.

So what’s the solution? Not that there is a specific way out of the coma, but perhaps returning to the root of reality can help. Appreciating the convenience and fortune we enjoy. Ruminating on the simple, little things. We are alive. Maybe Covid offers both the most plain and yet stark reminder. If not, we can look toward Chef: do what we love, and embrace what makes us feel alive.