View this Coronavirus Story

     To be completely honest, nearly everything about this year has pretty much been terrible. The world feels like it has been turned upside down. COVID-19 has brought many unpleasant things along with it, and everyone has suffered to some degree as a result of its spread, more or less. I have fortunately not been terribly affected, but the lockdowns and such did take their toll. We must stand united if we are going to knock this thing out, and everyone needs to be sure that they are doing their part to defeat the virus.

      Before long after COVID came, everything in our state was soon forced to shut down. It was so eerie knowing that almost every store, business, and institution was suddenly closed all at once; it seemed like something out of some dystopian, apocalyptic horror film. I never would have expected to see that the two-week quarantine would grow longer and longer as time progressed, eventually lasting for months. I did the responsible thing like everyone else at the time and stayed indoors during the lockdown, since we barely knew anything about the virus or the dangers it posed. It simply was not worth the risk of potentially catching COVID and spreading it to anyone I care about, not knowing what it might do to them. Staying inside was the best thing I could have done at the time, for caution is always necessary in the face of a new and unknown threat.

     I have actually not been bothered by the transition to online learning. It’s been working out pretty well for me, but I can understand why it might not work for everyone. We just need to remember that we’re doing this for the greater good, and hopefully everything will turn back to normal as a result of our efforts. Any rational ideas to end the pandemic should be tried and considered, such as attending college virtually and receiving instruction that way. If I was one of the people who hated that they had to obtain their education through online methods, I would just tell myself that it’s a sacrifice worth making. Image regaining the world that we lost, were there was no need for a face mask in public, you didn’t have to stand six feet apart from someone, and you never heard about the rising number of virus-related fatalities. By doing things which are as simple as attending school online, we can take back the reality of yesteryear, and I’ll do whatever I can to reclaim that world.

     Early in its course, the pandemic changed several aspects of my life by cutting me off from the outside world. I am not the most social person to begin with, and I don’t have all too many friends, so being completely isolated made me feel much more trapped than usual. Interestingly, many small things I had once taken for granted, like rolls of toilet paper, became precious objects. You never really know what you have until you lose it, no matter what it may be. Whether it’s a roll of toilet paper or the ability to see your family and friends. This whole experience should not only motivate us to be careful in times of crisis but also make us more thankful for the things we often failed to properly appreciate. I am quite guilty of this myself, and maybe a good thing that COVID has done is bringing this error of mine into the light.

     All in all, I am fully aware that it’s up to all of us to change these negative circumstances for the better. If we are going to curb the virus’s spread, exercising caution and quarantining will help us to meet that goal. Learning through online classes also serves as a buffer to weaken the coronavirus, just remember the things you’re fighting to regain. Lastly, and perhaps the most important thing, we should make something positive out of the dreary circumstances in our midst as we strive to overcome this invisible enemy; even if it is something as simple as becoming more thankful, any form of positivity in dark and gloomy days is vital to us all. As I said earlier, each of us must do our individual parts in order to defeat COVID, and we can only accomplish such a tremendous task by working together.