Love, GenZ
Getting Back to Real Life
By Sadie Levy
My generation has grown up with technology. There is beauty in this. Beauty in the ability to connect in an instant with anyone across the world. Power in political engagement being just a click away. Convenience in unlimited knowledge in our pockets. But while you can find all the constellations online, there is no true alternative to stargazing with people you love wrapped in mismatched blankets and fresh air. You can’t slow dance online nor dip your toes into the ocean. And while you can see any city across the world on a screen, there is no substitute for real, unfiltered experiences.
These past few years of the pandemic, society has never been so reliant on technology.
For so long we’ve had a screen between us and the world. Now spring begins to slowly take over Maine, with small purple crocuses and slices of sunlight lasting into the evening. Things feel hopeful. Normalcy seems to be returning in little ways. Ways such as exchanging a mask-free smile with a passing stranger and hearing laughter come from restaurant tables as you walk around town.
Yet, we can’t return to “before” in its entirety. It’s like longing for youth after having done so much growing up. Things will always feel changed. For instance, some believe that there is no longer a need to cancel school because of snow when you can run classes remotely. (Imagine growing up in Maine without the possibility of snow days!) There is less desire for shopping locally when deliveries are so easy! Many have switched to working remotely regardless of Covid restrictions.
Things will be different. Yet as the warm weather comes, I still want to attempt resistance, and toss my mask and my iPhone into the ocean. I’m not the only one exhausted by the artificial existences we scroll through on social media, and the Zoom calls with slow Wi-Fi and bad connections. We’re ready as a collective to get back to real corporeal life.
This spring there is a necessity like never before to get into the pulse of being out and about.
Tickets to outdoor concerts at Thompson’s Point are in high demand, and some shows are already sold out. I find myself stalking different food trucks on Instagram to see when they will be back to partake in sunny days with me. In whatever ways we can, I think this spring we need to connect, to nature, to our local businesses, and to each other.
Sadie Levy is a Junior at Waynflete high school in Portland, Maine. She loves writing and adventuring in nature.
