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Editorial: Same old, same old

Groundhog Day came and went recently, or did it? Unlike the 1993 movie of the same name, the calendar flipped from February 2 to February 3 the next day, but what main character Phil Connors (portrayed by actor Bill Murray) went through in the film m
Powell River Peak cartoon
Patrick Lamontagne cartoon.

Groundhog Day came and went recently, or did it?

Unlike the 1993 movie of the same name, the calendar flipped from February 2 to February 3 the next day, but what main character Phil Connors (portrayed by actor Bill Murray) went through in the film mirrors what life has been like for many people since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in early 2020. The script repeated itself every day, from the song (“I Got You Babe”) playing on the radio at 6 am, dishes crashing to the floor at lunch in a diner, the appearance of an annoying old acquaintance, and festivities surrounding Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction, just to name a few of the many recurrences highlighted in the movie.

Sound familiar?

Real life is far different from a movie, but mundane is mundane. Wash your hands, wear a mask, stay home, mind your bubble, stay two metres away from others, don’t travel, et cetera.

Finding something different to do in the new normal, or even taking part in an activity from the old normal, is challenging, if not impossible with the current restrictions and protocols to follow. 

Groundhog Day the movie was a comedy, albeit slightly on the dark side, but the protagonist eventually found his way out of the darkness to appreciate and accept what lay ahead, and it all worked out in the end. The calendar eventually turned.

Real life can have a happy ending, too; in our case it’s all about the vaccines.

Nova Scotia’s Shubenacadie Sam failed to see his shadow on February 2, predicting an early spring, while Alberta’s Balzac Billy decided six more weeks of winter are on the way. In other words, there is no consensus. It’s almost like the day didn’t happen. Or did it?