Looking Through Rose Colored Glasses
Jameson B.
Many have begun to define their experiences as before- and after- quarantine, and the changes that the enclosed lifestyle have forced. A growing trend is the reversion to now archaic forms of entertainment. When Netflix and Instagram only get us so far, garages and closets are quickly ransacked for the long-forgotten pastimes of our childhoods.
Apparently, only once we’re confined to the limits of our front yards and under quarantine can sidewalk chalk enjoy its spotlight.
Junior Nabah Sultan chalks this up in part to nostalgia. “I think chalk has made a successful comeback during quarantine because it brought [teenagers] back to the time when we were young and wouldn’t need to leave the house or spend money to be entertained,” she said.
Especially with Spring creeping out of the sleepy covers of Winter, kids of all ages are ansty to get out of the house; Mother Nature has punked us all with the unfortunate coincidence of warmer temperatures and enforced social distancing.
Sidewalk art helps to remedy some of the aches of quarantine, offering vibrant reminders for passersby that their communities are still a place to turn for support — that hope is not lost.
“While drawing with chalk, I decided to write messages on the tiles such as ‘stay positive,’ ‘we’re in this together,’ and ‘smile,’” Sultan said. “It can be as simple as making someone smile.”
Preventing our brains from rotting away in isolation lands pretty high on most people’s list of priorities, and puzzles offer a colorful occupation for your mind. They can help to remind us that there’s a world outside of quarantine.
And for many, puzzles provide a needed goal in what can be an aimless time, especially for students. Without school to give them a strict regimen, it can be hard to find any sense of productivity.
“[Puzzles] give you a sense of accomplishment when you finish them,” junior Lucy Ellsworth said. “I’ve always liked puzzles, but I especially like them now because they’re a time consuming activity that’s fun.”
We all have to adapt to the new situations we find ourselves in, and as long as we remember to keep color within reach, we will be able to weather any storm we might face.
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