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Am I the last person to discover Derry Girls?
In case you missed it too, it’s a show about a group of high school girls navigating teenage angst while their world is shaped by The Troubles — a civil war in Northern Ireland between the IRA and the British state. The backdrop is bombings, checkpoints, fear. But the front story? It’s friendship, crushes, bad decisions, and the kind of chaotic, unshakable loyalty only teenagers have.
And they manage to survive.
Thrive.
I can’t help but wonder: are these the skills we need now?
Ray Dalio, who founded the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater, has warned that the biggest threat to our economy — and our world — is dissension. Not healthy debate, but deep, bitter divides that make it harder for us to talk to one another. He fears that if we don’t figure this out soon, civil war isn’t just a possibility — it’s an outcome.
And yet, when I walk across the parking lot at Wawa, that reality feels far away.
In that tiny melting pot — a microcosm of civility — people still hold doors for each other.
We nod.
We smile.
We give space.
Whatever anger dominates the news or flares up on social media, in those moments between the hoagies and the French vanilla coffee, we acknowledge each other’s humanity.
Despite the forces pulling us apart, we’re still more alike than different.
We want safety.
We want belonging.
We want a world where our kids can walk into a Wawa safely, and have interactions that are peaceful.
As I was thinking about all this, a Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly appeared and followed throughout our walk. Its deep, iridescent blues shimmered every time the sun touched its wings. Pipevine Swallowtails symbolize transformation, resilience, and the beauty of change — a reminder that even in times of turmoil, renewal is possible.
If only the world could embrace the Wawa of it all — those small, unspoken moments of decency and grace that push back against the chaos.
Maybe that’s how we find our way through:
One open door.
One nod.
One butterfly symbolizing the transformation that is always within reach.
One unlikely show about teenagers living through the noise of war.
Reminding us that no matter what, we are human.
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