Generation Why: It's time to embrace the future

May 17—The Oscars were a few weeks ago, and, in the lead up, I found myself binge watching the nominated movies.

This was an atypical awards season, to be sure, but in a more standard year, I watch the likely nominees as they come out. I read what's getting the most buzz at various festivals, check reviews, and try to expand my viewing all year long. Not so much in 2020, even when everything was more accessible thanks to the broad digital release of some excellent movies.

But this year, watching those movies seemed a little more like work than usual. They required more mental effort and just daily life during the pandemic was emotionally tricky enough as it was. I didn't really want to delve into the deep, internal lives of people who live on the road or spend a few hours experiencing the life of a musician losing his hearing.

Instead, I rewatched movies I've seen hundreds — if not thousands — of times. 500 Days of Summer, Star Wars, Pride and Prejudice. I did the same with TV, too, watching Parks and Recreation and Arrested Development for the umpteenth time. It was comforting. These things usually are, even in the best of times. But when we are living a life so filled with uncertainty, the familiar has even more allure.

My generation is somewhat known for our nostalgia. You can blame us for the live-action Disney remakes — for better or for worse — and everything from the return of '90's-era snack foods to the Twilight renaissance. In fairness, most of our lives have been lived in some sense of upheaval. There was 9/11, a seemingly endless war, a market crash, climate change, and — of course — the coronavirus pandemic. We were kind of primed for a longing for the past, a need for escapism formed in us more so than other recent generations.

But, while there isn't anything wrong with taking comfort in your favorite movies at TV shows, there's also not a lot of growth to be found there. Yes, watching The Office for the 15th time is fun, especially when we can't gather around the water cooler at our real life offices, but there isn't much else to get out of the show after the first few times through. Delving into morality and philosophy and the nature of life with The Good Place can be just as entertaining while also giving your mind something else to do.

Things are finally starting to return to normal. The CDC has said that fully vaccinated people don't need to wear masks indoors anymore, and restrictions are loosening across Ohio and Michigan both. Of course we all want to get back out and do the things we miss doing, and we should go back to our favorite restaurants and movie theaters. But instead of sticking to the things we know best, we should take full advantage of our new-found freedom and explore the unknown too. Visit a museum you've heard of but never made it to, dine at the restaurant you've driven by and wondered about, duck into that cute store whose window always makes you smile. After a year of relying on the familiar, leave your comfort zone for a bit. You might even find a new favorite to love along the way.

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Kate Mitchell is a copy editor and page designer at The Blade. She can be reached at kmitchell@theblade.com.