Little Things Have Many Meetings

The OPENAIR Circus is returning to in-person classes in 2021.  There's a bit of effort going into it and it's not going to be like the Circus I know and love... but it's something.

Here's the thing, I've heard people say "I'm so happy the Circus is returning to in-person" but none of that has impressed upon me that it's a good thing or that I should be happy about it.

To understand this reaction, let's start with the obvious, which is that my feeling is that the pressure to return to in-person classes ignores that some fundamental parts of what makes the OPENAIR Circus what it is will be missing due to the restrictions we're putting in place... restrictions without which I would not be willing to participate in bringing in-person classes together this year since there is still COVID-19 spread and, even if stopping the spread among vaccinated people weren't important, the population we serve is not eligible for vaccines yet.

But there's something more subtle than frustration about what we're doing and why.  There's something that's more problematic.  Such gratitude about returning to in-person ignores all the effort that went into putting last year's program together and suggests that roughly one third of what we're doing this year isn't worthwhile or at least is not as worthy as the other two thirds.  And what we did last year certainly was not nothing.  And the third of classes happening online this year is not nothing.  And suggesting otherwise is not nothing.

Usually, when someone says they're thankful for something you're working on, it makes you feel good.  But when they're thanking you for something you have reservations about... when they're thanking you and it makes you feel like they're dismissing other efforts you feel are just as worthy... that doesn't feel good.  It may even make you feel worse.

And I don't expect to feel "good" about this year's program in general.  I don't expect people to socially distance after having seen the large gatherings of lots of families at a local park.  I don't expect the vaccinated parents to wear masks without confrontation, despite the simple fact that the studies that have shown that spread is lessened by the vaccines also have shown that spread still can and does happen... and despite the parents being in the same household as those that are not eligible to be vaccinated.  No, I don't expect "good" to be something I feel this season... regardless of whether people express that they are thankful for in-person classes.

So, if you're in the OPENAIR Circus and thankful for the in-person classes, you can thank another organizer but don't thank me for the in-person classes themselves.... if you want to share your appreciation for the program with me, find another way.  Show your appreciation by coming up with something else to be thankful for or by following the social distancing and masking rules we've put in place.