One Year Reflection on Quarantine

It has been one year since the pandemic began. A massive historical event I never imagined I would have to go through. It all began with that supposed “two week” break. I believe it was March 12 and to say that I was stressed with school would be an understatement. Quite frankly, I did not take covid-19 seriously in the beginning and I figured they would see nothing serious and shorten it to one week, so I was happy about not having to see the school for some time. 

I don’t know what to think. I look back on everything that has happened this past year and I can’t believe it. All those memories of the hardest times during 2020 were real and just took place a year ago. 

Covid-19 has taught us a lot. I used to think that it was a message from one of the gods who was tired of us complaining about work and school. Everyone complained about life before the pandemic and then everyone wished they could go back to how things used to be. We are truly never happy with what we have and I thought Covid-19 was just a lesson for us to not take things for granted. However, I never expected this to last more than a year. Whatever Covid-19 was meant to be, it certainly was a lesson for everybody. There is not one single person on this Earth who was not affected by the virus. 

I have lost some family members and family friends. They were not very close to me, but their deaths were still terrifying to me because I knew them. Aside from the horrific symptoms Covid-19 causes, this pandemic is terribly harsh for our mental health. It can drain the mental health of a healthy person, let alone somebody who struggles with it. Some of the people I have unfortunately seen pass away, have not died because Covid-19 was in their system, but because they were depressed and had no energy to do much. It affects you even if you aren’t infected. Staying home was not much of a struggle for me at first, but as the months passed with no promise of this ever ceasing, it began to take a toll on me. 

I felt annoyed with the world and all the innocent lives it took. I was starting to miss going out without having to worry about a mask and yearned to go back to school. I was also worried because most people are talking about this being a “new normal” and how things won’t go back to the old normal until at least two more years. I am scared that this won’t clear up soon and that I will have to lose out on so many of the best experiences people my age get to live through. Everybody has been affected and everybody complains, yet they don’t do their part to make it better. People continue to throw parties, walk around without masks, and yes, vaccines are out, but what difference does it make if not everybody has it yet? There is still a major risk. 

It is a small sacrifice we have to discipline ourselves to take so we can live get the life we all we want back again. I miss concerts, I miss seeing friends without the mask, I miss putting on lipstick, I miss a lot of things I never thought I would and I want to live these years of my youth the way I’ve heard others have. It is a struggle and a pain for everyone, but the end result will also be a benefit to everyone. We just have to hang on for a little bit longer. 

I wish people would be a little more disciplined, but I know we’ve all tried, some more than others, but this hasn’t been easy and hopefully we’re almost at the end. My only hope now is that no additional complications arise and that everyone gets vaccinated safely so we can tell a new story next year.