When Caught Between “Blah” and “Meh”
By Nadine Briggs and Donna Shea Even though we knew this was coming, it doesn’t make it any easier. The weather is getting colder and the days are getting shorter…
By Donna Shea & Nadine Briggs
Since the advent of the pandemic back in March, we have all been forced into changes of seismic proportions. What we thought would be temporary, is quickly looking to be much more permanent, or at least long-term.
If you have a Minecraft™ player in your life, you know that the game involves two different modes to play, one is survival and the other creative. It feels as though life is being played this way. We are all doing our best to stay healthy, continue working in extraordinary circumstances, and surviving despite the unexpected and phenomenal challenges that have been thrown at us. It’s survival mode.
Some people are using creative mode for workarounds for our current circumstances. Creative solutions such as birthday party car parades, online activities, working and shopping from home, and other ways that human beings continue to demonstrate their creativity, adaptability, and resilience. In some cases, we are rebuilding from the ground up.
We believe in, and have seen, the resilience of kids through this experience. For example, Amy suffers the loss of her beloved horseback riding lessons, but finds a way to go on a trail ride. Brian, who found the demands of school more of a struggle than joy, is thrilled with online learning from home. Neighbors are developing their own small people pods so that kids can safely play together. Long-distance friendships are forming. Kids in my social groups meet outside of the group in their own server to play, you guessed it, Minecraft™.
We don’t know what the next months will bring and what might creep upon us to test our survival skills. There are no answers, and humans want answers. We’re living between both worlds, surviving what we must, and creating what we want and need to ease ourselves through the unknown.
