Stoic Observations

Stoic Observations

Share this post

Stoic Observations
Stoic Observations
Ugly, Stupid, Feeble and Lazy
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More

Ugly, Stupid, Feeble and Lazy

Who cares?

Michael David Cobb Bowen's avatar
Michael David Cobb Bowen
Sep 21, 2023
∙ Paid
10

Share this post

Stoic Observations
Stoic Observations
Ugly, Stupid, Feeble and Lazy
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
Share

I have Covid again. This is my second bout and I’m on Paxlovid. I should be back to normal in a week or so, but in the meantime I have the experience of being one of society’s undesirables. Moreover, I am undesirable to myself and it gives me the opportunity to reach out with a bit of desperate hunger to some ideals and virtues. Like a good sized cohort of American men, I like to imagine myself pulling off feats of daring skill. Like the cat staring down the flat panel TV image of a goldfish, I feel triumph within my paw’s reach. It might be the collegiate running back spinning through opponents or the commando lighting the fuse. I’m there. I feel it.

Except today I feel nothing. I think nothing. I do nothing but sweat under my comforter with my socks still on, and it hurts when I cough. I took a shower for the first time in four days this morning and I realized that in my isolation, nobody told me that I stunk. I didn’t even think of stink. Then I actually looked into the mirror and realized what a wreck I have become. I played the time-travel game and introduced my withered hulk to the 23 year old me. We both spat.

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Stoic Observations to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Michael DC Bowen
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share

Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More