My thoughts on the global quarantine

It’s officially been a month since school closed, a month we’ve all been cooped up in our houses for weeks. Despite the desperation of wanting normal life back, time has really flown by. When we have freedom to do things at our own pace we feel much more peaceful and much less stressed. 

Lately I have been tapping into untouched universes. Suddenly I’m making art, learning to sew, reading for fun, doing workouts, and eating healthier. During school it seemed like I never had time for these things that are just simple pastimes. Society’s pace has really slowed down without deadlines and to-dos and events throughout the day. At least in the United States, the culture we’ve developed gives us great economic advantage; but also the stress in maintaining our success. When everything is forced to a halt, there are no opportunities for constant stress without the responsibility of maintaining such a fast-paced lifestyle.

Additionally, we are becoming so creative with new ways to interact with one another considering the social distancing rules. Zoom has been huge for connecting with loved ones, whether simply to chat or to celebrate birthdays. We are much more grateful for the opportunities to connect with those we love when our usual accommodations are not possible. People are also noticeably much more kind and generous in times of need, when we are forced to work together to achieve a common goal. It reveals the genuine care and empathy in human beings, which makes the world appear a much better place. Who knew all it took was a global pandemic?

Speaking of the world, now that we aren’t out destroying the environment and creating pollution, the Earth is healing. Air pollution levels have plummeted, canals in Italy have cleared up, and cows are able to settle in Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. While we stay inside to save and heal ourselves, the planet has the opportunity to heal from the damage that we have unfortunately caused. This also provides us with hope that once we return to normal life, we will be able to maintain these natural environmental repairs.

Surprisingly, I haven’t personally experienced many negative aspects to this period of isolation, besides being deprived of social time. Going back to school is starting to sound really nice, though. I will always miss seeing the people I love every day. On the other hand, it’s devastating to see the ever-increasing number of deaths and cases all over the world. Here in the United States, we have had the highest of these numbers for weeks; we always have to win at everything in the Great U.S of A. 

Overall, I’ve been able to see more positives than negatives during this time at home, what with tons of time to think and sleep. Get your 9 hours while you still have the chance- and hopefully we’ll be back to normal soon.