A new disease that's been discovered.. In you!

Congratulations to all one of you who got the reference in the title of this post.

Okay, strictly speaking, what I'm about to talk about isn't so much a disease as it is a syndrome.

See, I recently watched Groundhog Day. Those of you who know it, good for you, but if you don't, here's a basic explanation of the plot:

Newsman Phil Connors is sent by his network with a small crew (a cameraman and a producer) to film a short segment involving a weather-predicting groundhog. After they are stranded in the town due to bad weather conditions, Phil wakes up in the same place on the same day and is forced to live out the same day many times

Some fun facts about that movie:

• A total of 38 full or partial days are shown in the film
• There are multiple guesses for how long Phil spends repeating Groundhog Day, based on (MINOR SPOILERS) the fact that he becomes an expert in
• Piano playing
• Ice sculpting
• French literature
• The writer and the director claim that it's roughly 10 years, but other estimates vary between 8 and 34 years

But this post isn't about Groundhog Day. It's about every movie (and play!) I've ever seen.

You see, I have what I call Sympathetic Media Syndrome. It's self-diagnosed, and essentially it means that whatever I watch, I expect my life to behave in the same way.

But what does this mean in real terms? Simply put, it means that:

• After watching Groundhog Day, I expected my life to repeat itself (this was disproven the next day when my shoulder pain hadn't healed up from the night before)
• After watching a Shakespeare play, I speak Ye Olde English for at least the rest of the day
• After watching The Play That Goes Wrong, I expected everyting in my life to go wrong in the most hilarious way possible
• After watching The Lego Movie, I expected everything to be made of Lego (I saw both of the above within 24 hours of one another, so that really screwed me up)

If you suspect you also suffer from Sympathetic Media Syndrome, don't bother consulting anyone about it. There's no cure and any competent doctor will laugh you out of the room.

If, however, you notice any abnormalities in your body such as new moles, consult a doctor immediately. The current lockdown situation may put you off, but lots of doctors are now doing consultations via video call so you can have a consultation in the comfort of your own home.

Yes, this lighthearted post took an unexpected turn, but this is an important issue. Stay safe and check yourself regularly.