our lives, in fact the whole world, is feeling particularly fragile at the moment. it feels like we have an inability to withstand any more pressure — collectively, we are thin ice. we are an expanding balloon. we are on the edge, about to crack, buckle, burst.
when i was a kid, when we unwrapped a package from the mail; invariably, i would steal the bubble wrap. i would take each bubble and pop it one by one, feeling the pressure between my pointer finger and thumb; relishing in the release. when i was feeling particularly exuberant i would place it on the floor and run across it — the cacophony of the snaps and crackles deeply satisfying. in a way, it was self-soothing, a sensory experience that was both entertaining and grounding.
these days, we are all in need of bubble wrap (an environmentally friendly version, if that could be invented along with an effective vaccine — it’s not too much to ask, is it?).