Lessons Pandemic Taught Us
Was it really a mess??
The past few years have been very overwhelming right? Cases rising everywhere in the world, it was a very depressing surrounding to be in. I must say even for me the first few months were very miserable. I couldn’t do the things I was used to doing. Playing with my friends, meeting classmates in school and tuition etc.
How was my life before lockdown? Let’s say that it wasn’t exactly boring or exciting. I would wake up at 6 AM, catch my school bus, sit with my friend, chit-chat, attend classes, chit-chat, go to the school canteen after school at the last moment and then rush to the bus yard. Then I would reach home, eat a quick snack, study for some time then go to play. Then dinner, bed and repeat. And in the case of Mondays and Fridays, I would meet some of my best friends at tuition, chit-chat with them too. Yeah, I used to ‘chit-chat’ a lot.
The COVID-19 pandemic spread and the lockdown was imposed. Everything had stopped. It was as if life had taken a sudden turn from the Highway of Happiness to the Road of Doom without any prior notice. I used to think that my life was ruined both physically and socially. Little did I know then that the years to come would be the best years of my life.
So what exactly was the negative side of lockdown? We couldn’t meet our friends and peers and socialise with them. Everything went online which was probably one of the biggest disadvantages for us students. One tab will have the class open and on another tab, we’re playing Roblox or watching YouTube. You get new chat messages, emails, Netflix recommendations, etc. And once you’re distracted, a study says that it takes up to 23 minutes to get your concentration back.
So as they say: ‘There’s something bad in everything good and something good in everything bad." Even lockdown has a good side to it. So let’s talk environment wisely. In the lockdown, many factories were shut down due to which pollution was reduced. We saw elephants on the road making headlines and peacocks on rooftops going viral. More people were seen in nurseries than in malls! We became more hygienic. Before eating I would wash my hands with soap and also the groceries and parcels that used to come! This pandemic also gave me a chance to explore myself. I got to spend much more time with my family. We played games, baked cakes (we’ll just pretend they didn’t fail), binge-watched movies etc. It felt as if Family Sunday was still going on and never-ending! I learnt many skills too! I learnt how to cook and paint, and I recently started writing too!
So overall, I think this pandemic changed us all as human beings, as to who we are!
I do miss meeting friends and hanging out comfortably without a piece of cloth on my face. But then I also think that I am not going through this alone. Everyone in the world is so why should I moan about it?
I guess it’s not that bad. Or maybe it’s just because I’ve gotten used to it. Some people might take lockdown as a negative thing and some might take it as a positive thing. It all depends on how you take it.
‘Just remember, very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.’ — Marcus Aurelius
Cheers,
SJ
