The Great Divide. "Are you on my side, or are you on the evil side? I need to know, so I can make an opinion about you."

YUCK. Is this really where we have come to live? In a divided culture, where one side believes one thing, and the other side holds fast to another?

How many of you have lost a very close friendship within the last two years because of this?

Have you ended up in a place you never thought you'd be… and it's not a good thing?

Life has been difficult for the past three years. In April 2019, I lost my mom to brain cancer. The nasty kind. A glioblastoma. The prognosis is terrible for this kind of cancer. Still, she lived much longer than expected for her condition. I'm so thankful for the time we had with her.

Then Covid hit in 2020. Technically the end of 2019, but it really gained steam in 2020. I thought it would be over in maybe three weeks. At most, three months. Boy, was I wrong.

There was already a divide, but by this time, it had ripped wide open.

And that left many of us hanging in thin air, unable to grasp anything of substance that would keep us grounded.

And boy, did we grasp. We grasped for alcohol. Inappropriate relationships. Bad habits. Food (not the good kind.) Who here also gained the COVID19 (kind of like the Freshman15)?

Thin Air.

Thin air is like being in a void without any sense of direction. Your chest feels tight, and you can't take deep breaths. Everything seems too distant and far away. You think you have to keep fighting for every bit of progress. You constantly jump from one idea to the next, never settling long enough to get a proper hold.

Last year, 2022, felt like this. I had so many ideas but needed to settle longer on ONE thing. I'm still there, but the road ahead is getting more clear.

How can we break the cycle of feeling stuck in thin air? How can we not gravitate to one side or the other but find our own path forward?

We need re-creation.

We must find ways to create new experiences, relationships, and opportunities for growth and understanding. Re-creation is the key that unlocks the doors of progress and innovation.

Re-creation is about permitting yourself to do something different, even if it feels uncomfortable or strange. You can create a new routine, join a social group or activity, try a new hobby, or just take some time out to relax and reflect.

By taking the time to re-create, you will develop a better understanding of yourself, your environment, and the people around you. You'll be more aware of your feelings and emotions.

This journey is about setting achievable goals for yourself and ensuring that each step forward is purposeful and meaningful.

We can be thankful for the time spent hanging in thin air. It allows us to explore what a better future could look like. Not thinking of ourselves, but rather how we can use creativity and innovation to make a better world around us.