My content is primarily about my personal experience and feelings I\u27ve had during the COVID-19 pandemic

Anonymous, David

English

Sacred Heart University: DigitalCommons@SHU

Remembering COVID-19 Historical events had always appeared to me through textbooks in class or television screens at home. Because of this, emerging news of a rapidly spreading virus didn’t really leave much of an impact on me. At the time, I was in my sophomore year of high school, and my biggest care in the world was my involvement in my school’s musical. In fact, when I first heard that the COVID-19 pandemic spread to the United States, my first concern was whether I’d have to stop rehearsals. In retrospect, I guess this was because it all just seemed so unreal. When I thought of the word “pandemic” I thought about those old paintings of people dying from bubonic plague in the streets. There was just no way something like that could happen in the modern world.  The understanding of COVID-19’s severity really started to hit during lockdown. Days turned into weeks. Weeks into months. Eventually, time became somewhat of an abstract concept. What made it even worse was that for a while, no one had any idea as to when things would return to normal. Aside from virtual school, my life revolved around watching the news, going on walks, and experimenting with new hobbies that would hopefully pass the time. Some of these hobbies included baking, painting, tie-dying, and playing video games. I would also constantly be online, which didn’t really help much with my mental health. While at times, the internet provided me with escapism, it ultimately put me in a negative headspace. All of the dialogue about worsening statistics and worldwide tragedy made me lose hope in the world. There was also, of course, the constant fear that someone in my family would catch the virus. Looking back at that period of my life, I have no clue how I made it work. I guess there was no other option but to bide time and find solace in the passage of time. Family was definitely the biggest part of what kept me going. Things may have gotten dark, but we were always there for each other. I also found listening to music to be helpful as well. For example, “quarantine albums” such as Taylor Swift’s Folklore and Florence + The Machine’s Dance Fever addressed a lot of the anxieties and feelings of isolation that came with the pandemic. Listening to people express their struggles through art and music gave me a great deal of catharsis in a very dark and unsure period of my life. Overall, I think the pandemic put a lot of things into perspective for me. It was one of the first times I truly noticed how fragile the world is. No one is immune to disaster, so it’s important to stay present and appreciate life.   

Remembering COVID-19

https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1158&context=covid19-reflections

Remembering COVID-19

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Sacred Heart University: DigitalCommons@SHU