Advise from Mr. Bradbury

 

We Are All Turning into Howard Hughes'

With the self isolation, schools and activities being cancelled, and basically the whole whole quarantining with those they share a household with, we are all slowly being more and more like Howard Hughes.

Hughes lived it large. He was a genius and a ladies man. Howard Hughes excelled at everything he did, whether it was golfing, flying planes, investing, and even as a film producer. Over time, his OCD worsened and he became extremely reclusive.

Being somewhat OCD myself, and after COVID-19 invaded North America with the increasing measures to sanitize and social distance, I find Howard Hughes life more and more relatable.

When I go to the grocery store at night, when Big Dragon gets home and I can leave the children behind, I find myself looking up to find familiar faces but have to fight the urge to hug and move closer to chat. Must stay a full hockey stick (and a little bit more, hockey sticks are 5.25 feet, not even quite the required 6 feet). We are all living in bubbles even when we are outside of our homes. The most I can do when I see a friend is smile and shake my head.

Howard Hughes lived in a screening room for four months, he ate chocolate bars and chicken and drank only milk. How is this any different than being quarantined from March till May, recycling the easy to make and easy to please recipes, and binging Netflix? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. We really can't judge this man too harshly.

Hopefully when things get back to the way they were and we can start having gatherings again, we don't end up looking like Hughes though. We have all been less keen with our hygiene routines. No need to shower as often and apply makeup. No need to dress and impress.

Hughes hermit-like ways (and possibly his drug use) made him practically unrecognizable when he died. His hair, beard, fingernails, and toenails were extremely long—his tall 6 ft 4 in frame weighed barely 90 pounds. With all of these physical changes, the FBI had to resort to the age-old technique of fingerprinting to conclusively identify him.

So be kind to yourself and don't judge others. Apparently, Hughes re watched the 1968 film, Ice Station Zebra over 150 times. Maybe when the library finally reopens, I will watch it once through.