It's sick season. Everyone you know and their dog has got something. Allergies, cold, flu, the galloping consumption -- it's all come in troves to kick off the semester. The other day, I watched one of my own professors faint in class the moment he excused us. No one's immune. But even between each painful cough, every snotty rag and every vomit-soaked shirt collar, there are the strange pleasures of every sick day.

As a student, I find that myself and my peers are always aching for a nap. The English Department of Oklahoma State at times resembles something more akin to the old folks' home, between the nodding heads and the complaints of missed sleep. Sleep is thus not only a necessary activity during one's recovery, but also a welcome one. Anyone with active roommates will tell you that there is never another time when you can hope to get in a few hours of sleep in the day. I myself live with a recording musician, and, on a daily basis, I'm treated to various forms banging, screeching and shouting coming through the wall without any notice, so the respite from that that he affords me in my sickened state is a godsend in itself.

I find I also get a lot more movie time in when I'm ill. Being bedridden treats you to a lot more time to lay back and watch some flicks, both old and new. A sick-day favorite for me has always been "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" or "Star Wars" (though really that's a favorite for any day of the week), but over this last week I've also made a little time for a few films I've had in my Netflix queue for quite some time, such as "The Imitation Game" and "The Hateful Eight." English majors are prone to feel guilty when they're not reading or writing. However, there are occasions, such as those times such as when you find that you're too delirious to read due to the red-hot touch of your own forehead, when it's acceptable to enjoy a more passive form of art and entertainment.

Perhaps the greatest joy of the sick season is that, much like the holiday season, it is during this trying time of runny noses and pained heads that we're reminded that we're truly loved. Two of my best friends in the world, upon finding out that I was ill, brought by food, water and their company. My own mother was checking in every day, threatening constantly to drive all the way to Stillwater with a pot of soup.

So try not distress over a missed day or two. There's always a day here or there to play a bit of catch up, and the semester is still young. Just be happy that it hasn't come during midterms or, perish the thought, during finals week. Otherwise, kick back, put on a movie that brings you comfort and drink that NyQuil responsibly.