Last week’s helicopter crash that
killed Kobe Bryant and eight others is a horrible tragedy for the nine
individuals who died, as well as for the many who are mourning their deaths. While
Bryant’s life and legacy are both inspirational and complicated in different
ways, it’s also true that he was 41 years old and in the prime of his adult
life. The death of someone so vibrant and active, who was just starting the
second act of his life, strikes at the heart of anyone in touch with their own
mortality.
This particular tragedy may have also
served as a tipping point for some, as they may have experienced so many
stressful events in their communities, country, world and planet in recent
years that they had trouble handling yet another.
We all have personal stressors in
our lives, and there are times when those stressors become true crises that profoundly
impact our day-to-day lives. But even when there’s no crisis, and the stressors
are manageable, there seems to be this underlying layer of despair in the world
today. This can make it even more difficult to handle the personal and
community struggles – because we look around and see so many problems tearing
at the fabric of our social, political, ecological and cultural institutions.
Those who have been marginalized in
society have felt this underlying stress every day of their lives. Those who
are in positions of privilege may be able to look back on certain decades, such
as the 1980s or ‘90s, with some degree of nostalgia. But the present century has
brought with it so many widespread challenges to all of us: September 11. The wars
in Afghanistan and Iraq. Deadly hurricanes, from Katrina to Sandy to Maria to
Harvey. Other climate-related disasters, from rising sea levels and record
temperatures to massive wildfires and flooding. A global financial crisis. Mass
shootings. The presidential election of 2016, and the pronounced polarization
that has followed it. Mass migration, and the debates over immigration
throughout the world. The shootings of unarmed people of color. Sexual
harassment. Deadly viruses. A widespread lack of civil discourse.
Someone who is stressed about a loved
one’s illness, while also dealing with daily personal, domestic and work challenges,
might still find room in their life to take on a couple of these communal
crises: Perhaps they are engaging in some environmental activism, and also
reading about all the presidential candidates, in preparation for voting this
year. They’re full to the brim with things to worry about, and are using their
own version of the Serenity Prayer to stay on top of it all. And then, one
Sunday afternoon, they hop online and see that, of all things, Kobe Bryant is dead.
It can feel like one too many stressors, enough to bring us to a tipping point.
When Malcolm Gladwell authored The Tipping Point in the first year of
this century, he ushered in a new era of social science books dedicated to
helping us figure out how and why we do the things we do. With that book,
Gladwell studied what he called “social epidemics,” and what causes a series of
smaller changes to reach a point where a larger, more systemic change takes
place. Two decades later, we are nearing a point at which our collective
psychological well-being is near a tipping point.
As educators, one of our challenges is
to help students and communities find a way to transcend and avoid that level
of despair. Education can inspire us in that way. Social and emotional learning
can inspire us in that way. And building communities of lifelong learners can inspire
us in that way. We can’t control the overall stress levels of our students, but
we can help them search for a way through the stresses by learning, processing,
sharing and growing together.
It’s no coincidence that in this
time period, many have turned toward the words of beacons of light such as Fred
Rogers, Freddie Mercury, Michelle Obama, Bryan Stevenson and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The same mind that identifies overwhelming stress seeks out ways to manage and overcome
that stress. We feel the despair in the traumas that surround us. But we also
search together for ways to identify and feel hope in the midst of that
despair.
During this century, no athlete has
impacted the sports world more than LeBron James. Now a Los Angeles Laker,
James found himself standing before the crowd at Staples Center on Friday in
the Lakers’ first home game after Bryant’s death. As he held the microphone and
spoke, James’ words applied both to this specific tragedy and to so many of the
crises we all face.
“We’re all grieving, we’re all
hurting, we’re all heartbroken,” he said. “But when we’re going through things
like this, the best thing you can do is lean on the shoulders of your family.”
When that tipping point arrives,
James seemed to be saying, we don’t have to handle it alone. We never have to
handle it alone.