LOST IN ABBREVIATIONS

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

I don't think I'm a softie, but yet, getting a bad cold sinks my mood in a wink. One sneeze too many turns the Perky Busy Bee into a Sullen Drowsy Bee !

So, whenever I get a scratchy throat, a runny nose and watery eyes, I always try to nip the cold in the bud ! Hey, hey, a good opportunity to treat myself to a hot toddy ( a little brandy, fresh lemon, two cloves and hot water make a better medicine than any over-the-counter ones).

Yet, last week , even one glass too many was not enough !

My husband had been coughing and sneezing for over two weeks, and although I had kept telling him " Sharing is great, but keep your cold to yourself ", I knew I was doomed to be the next host of the sneaky microbes.

So, what was to happen happened ! On Tuesday morning I woke up under the weather. I dragged myself out of bed, picked at my breakfast and unable that time to stop the cold in its track, I wasted the whole morning grabbing tissues every two minutes and sipping hot lemon juice with honey.

I lunched on a healthy chicken soup ( the best recipe to fight a cold) , and as it was safer to stay comfy, I slumped onto the sofa and decided to map out the plot of my next chapter ( this week's chapter).

I read my list of topics all throughout, but I could not set my mind on any. Whatever I jotted down turned out into rambling and go-nowhere stories a few minutes later.

I had to face the facts : I was stuck !

The side effects of my bad cold ? I pretended to think so, but actually I was awfully ashamed !

Millions of bloggers post twice or three times a week, others even on a daily basis, and Perky Busy Bee would not be able to cope with one poor little chapter a week ?? I was cut on the quick !! I needed to make it clear !

I took my laptop, and a few clicks later, I learnt that the blogger's block is a very common disease. Nothing to worry about as there are countless websites to help you overcome that bad patch.

Anyway, to comfort myself, I started reading some bloggers' testimonials, and one caught my attention.

The girl was saying she could not focus on her blog because she was suffering from FOMO. It kept her sidetracked and unable to gather her ideas !

Jeez ! Sure, I had that disease, too ! But how had I caught it ?? FOMO sounded Japanese. Well, I had not seen my friend Yayoi for long .So what ? Food ? Impossible ! The Breton word for sushis is 'crêpes', and crêpes are excellent for health !

A visit to Dr Google's surgery was compulsory ( No need to bribe the secretary to squeeze you in, the doctor receives his patients round the clock). Whatever his diagnosis, sure he would give me the right prescription to get rid of that Far-East virus !

Dr Google was categorical ! FOMO is " a psychological disorder that is considered to be both a phobia and an addiction. It is related to technology and can cause havoc on a person's personal as well as professional life ", and worse " it has gone viral ".

Dear me !! What was that plague ? Were there any remedies ? Any vaccines ?

Oops ! While reading that awful description I had skipped the small prints in brackets, and that made all the difference !

Actually FOMO stands for Fear Of Missing Out ! Roughly speaking, it means you keep connected to all the social networks, you check your inmail box and your mobile every quarter, just in case you might miss something out !

Well, fortunately I didn't have all the symptoms, but yet, if I was there trawling through the websites just because of my blogger's block, it meant I was an easy prey.

It was high time to react and set myself limits.

Ok, but how ? I needed my computer to blog and keep in touch with all of you , so what could I do ? How could I make sure I would not get totally comtaminated ?

And there I went again ! Browsing the web to get some tips and tricks to fight FOMO.

How fabulous the digital age is !! In next to no time I got two solutions to my little worries !

JOMO and GOMO could change my life ! In addition, if I followed their

' directions for use ', sure I would be able to enjoy YOLO !!

Oh heck ! I was " lost in translation* " again !

Even worse, due to my cold ( or Internet excessive use) I had got sidetracked  and I had not even dropped a single line of my next chapter !

But, wait a minute !! In spite of my runny nose, my watery eyes and my scratchy throat, I guess I have given you food for thought, haven't I ?

Take care of yourselves and have a nice week !

* a very good film by Sofia Coppola

Any comments ? The safest way to get in touch with me :

perkybusybee@gmail.com

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