Spring is officially here—it’s incredible what a bit of sunlight and cherry blossoms can do for the soul. As I write this, the sun is streaming through my window, my cat is laying in a sunbeam, and a best of B.B. King playlist is playing; there are certain sunny afternoons where some good ol’ blues never goes out of style (of course, the weather forecast is calling for rain on the day this sees print, but, you know what I mean). For the time being, at least, classes are online, so take that laptop and head outside (if it’s not raining). In my case, I go out to a tiny little patch of communal grass outside my apartment and pretend I’m on a beach on Italy’s Amalfi Coast.
I can all but promise you that there will come a time where you miss certain parts of online classes, so take advantage of some of the positive aspects while you can. (Side note: if you want to share your thoughts on going back to campus in September, write a letter to the Nexus editor, or email me at adam@nexusnewspaper.com.)
One of the hardest parts of this pandemic is the fact that we’ve all, essentially, been on tumble dry for a year. Just as something comes into fruition, or just as we re-adjust to certain restrictions, things change. That, to me, is what’s so exhausting and troubling about this, and that uncertainty is where a lot of the narratives about government overstep and interference come into play, and, in the tornado of confusion and frustration, start to perhaps make a little sense (I’m nearly 100-percent positive, by the way, that the government is aiming to have as few restrictions as possible).
In a post-COVID-19 world, that’s what I won’t miss: the uncertainty, the fear, the battles of arguments based not on fact but on hunches and emotions that have everything to do with our own personal lives, basic needs, freedoms, and sacrifices. While they vary immensely in scale, many of us made a ton of sacrifices over the past year, so when that sun is shining, get out there and celebrate, however that might look to you. Don’t ever lose the ability to have fun. Not even COVID can take that away.