On April 1, my wife and I took our kids to New York City for their spring break and met Steve from Minecraft. Actually, we met 50 Steves at once.

We stood at the iconic “Red Steps” looking at the huge screens, buildings, and swarms of selfie-taking people when we noticed the siege of Steves — men dressed in the avatar’s traditional jeans and green T-shirt. They wore fake beards, too. My kids and I watched as the Steves marched en masse to the top of the steps. Once there, they began to chant, “I am Steve! I am Steve!”

You likely know that uncommon things routinely occur in Times Square. There were other people in costume, like Minnie Mouse and Elmo. What made these Steves striking, however, was not just their number but their delight.

The Steves eventually moved down the steps and mixed with the crowd, posing for pictures and giving high fives. One Steve laughed as a youngster pulled off his fake beard. Another Steve started dancing with a street performer. I don’t play Minecraft, but I loved watching them.

I also admit that I don’t know much about Steve. I hope there’s not a racist or misogynistic backstory to the character. Maybe it was just a promotional stunt for the new movie.

But I saw a gaggle of guys having fun on April Fools Day by geeking out and spreading joy.

Joy Harjo, US Poet Laureate, claims, “We all have a part in shifting the story.” The siege of Steves played their part with gusto, and I’m here to tell you they were a loveliness of Steves, a tenderness of Steves, even a holiness of Steves.

Andrew Taylor-Troutman is the author of the book with Wipf and Stock Publishers titled This Is the Day: A Year of Observing Unofficial Holidays about Ampersands, Bobbleheads, Buttons, Cousins, Hairball Awareness, Humbugs, Serendipity, Star Wars, Teenagers, Tenderness, Walking to School, Yo-Yos, and More. He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina where he is a student of joy.

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