A few weeks ago, I re-watched a phenomenal film, Darkest Hour, starring Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, prime minister of the English government during World War II.  In the film, Churchill had just been appointed to the prime ministership, and England faced its “darkest hour,” as it stood alone in opposition to Nazi Germany while Adolf Hitler’s blitzkrieg stormed across continental Europe.

Three years ago, I read a biography of Winston Churchill and soaked in all the details of this period where Britain and its colonies essentially stood alone against Germany, Italy and Japan, the axis powers.

I know that right now, as we experience another wave of COVID-19, the Omicron Variant, we are all experiencing another round of COVID exhaustion and frustration.  And, COVID-19 is hitting our schools particularly hard right now – with many teachers and other staff contracting the virus, creating a wave of coverage gaps for instruction and other services.

For many educators and those of us who care deeply about our schools, teachers and children, it feels like our “darkest hour.”

For me, it really helps to consider the past histories of people, like the Brits in 1940, holding firm during their darkest hours.  Apparently, Churchill coined the phrase, “keep buggering on,” which was a slightly profane way of saying, “keep plodding on.”

I like this sentiment.  While I know and practice the value of being in touch with our deepest emotions, giving expression to those emotions, and dealing with them through reflection, prayer and meditation, there is also something to be said for that attitude of, “put your head down, and just keep moving forward.”

This is more than just a British sentiment.  When I think about millions of Americans who have fought through the Civil War, the 20^th century World Wars, the Great Depression, and the ongoing fight for Civil Rights and equality, I am inspired by how we’ve made it through extremely difficult times.

Again, I’m not throwing out easy answers or platitudes, but I just encourage us to please not give in to despair as we move through another wave of COVID.  Let’s continue to help one another, give a word and prayer of encouragement, and “keep buggering on.”  We can survive and grow through this Darkest Hour.

 

Hans Meeder is President of the National Center for College and Career Transitions (NC3T) (www.nc3t.com). NC3T provides planning, coaching, technical assistance, and tools. These strategies help community-based leadership teams plan and implement their college-career pathway systems and strengthen employer connections with education.