COVID-19 took everyone by surprise, leading people to experience hardships in various ways. I am very fortunate that I, and my loved ones, are healthy and that I have food on my table every day. However, this rapid shift from normal life to an isolated, social-distanced living, has been difficult to get used to. From this pandemic, I’ve become aware of the things that I take for granted, and I’ve realized how lucky I am to be able to simply spend time with others.
I was in my freshman year of high school when the virus took the world by storm. My initial thought was that it would pass in just a few months-- just as a common flu season would. All my friends were more excited than nervous, hoping our school would shut down so we could get a few days off. I did not think much of it either, and I certainly did not expect life to turn upside down. After almost a year, we are still quarantined, with the virus still growing rapidly, taking the lives of those every day. Now, looking back at it, I miss the simple things that I wouldn’t have even thought about twice prior to these past few months. I miss being able to have sleepovers with my friends, going to basketball games, having big family-friend gatherings, going to kickline practice, going out to competitions, and the list could go on and on. I regret being unaware of how lucky I was to be able to enjoy the presence of others without worrying about a deadly virus. I feel like I missed out on so many opportunities and possibilities.
I am supposed to be exploring my interests, delving into new activities, and living a fun teenage life in the beginning years of my high school experience. I always dreamed about how perfect and fun high school would be, allowing myself to discover what I truly enjoy. But instead, I’m stuck in my room, trapped in a cycle of boredom and laziness, closed off from these activities and opportunities. And who knows how long this will go on for? Will I even be able to go back to my normal high school life? Will I miss out on being a normal teenager?
All things set aside, as I said before, I am very fortunate to have a stable household and healthy friends and family. But, I can’t deny that I feel sad, trapped, helpless, regretful, and angry at what life has turned into and the fact that there’s nothing that can be done but let time itself unravel a solution. However, for now, I will try to motivate myself to still work hard and hope despite the difficulties that I face.
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