OT - Covid-19 and Sidewalk Chalk - Correlation?

Apr 03, 2020 10 Replies

SWMBO & I have been hunkered down at home except that we try to walk 3-4 miles every day. We mostly walk on trails through the many nature preserves and parks in my area, but sometimes we walk on the paved path along the canal or through neighborhoods other than our own.



While walking the paved areas and sidewalks, we've seen numerous spots where kids(?) have used sidewalk chalk and drawn/written things on the pavement. These areas are many miles apart so it's not the same group.



Hearts, rainbows, smiley faces. Love!, Peace To All, Be Nice, Breathe, etc.



Every occurrence has been one of happiness and good wishes. Not a single negative word or picture. We've been walking for years and don't recall ever seeing so many heartwarming expressions of good will written on the streets and sidewalks.



Could it be that these kids see the stress that the world is under and hear all the bad news from the talking heads on TV and need to counteract it? Are they trying to tell the adults to "Relax, we'll get through this."? Be nice, stay calm, live-laugh-love. If so, it's probably not a conscious effort. I'm guessing it comes from somewhere inside. A voice saying "I can't take any more bad news right now."



All I know is that it makes me smile when I see "happy words" on the sidewalk. Maybe it's just *me* saying "I can't take any more bad news right now."



Maybe we should all write something nice in front of our homes.


The amaryllis and crinum are blooming. They look nice and are pleasing to the eye.

The boysenberries are blooming, some green berries already showing, giving an indication of tasty treats soon to be had.

Despite the pollen in the air, you can get whiffs of flowers' aroma all around.

Sonny

The pink azaleas are outblooming the red ones but both are trying to brighten things up ;-)

Flowers do what they do because of their DNA.

Perhaps kids with sidewalk chalk write nice things for the same reason.

Their DNA tells them to try to brighten things up?

And woodworkers make nice things out of trees for the same reason? Perhaps the common thread is "nice things".

Not what I meant, but possibly. Who really knows?

Not everything I've (we've) made is nice, but, yeah, sometimes.

Up here its snowdrops and a few crocus.

Sometimes "nice" is in the eye of the beholder - - - or the receiver.

And sometimes "nice" just isn't.

Family outing, in your front/back yard: Check out this month's full pink super moon, April 7th.

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Sonny

It has been on the news and probably Facebook so everyone has to copy it. Welcome to the world of the internet.

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