Little Things

Global warming is something we have been trying to combat, for years on end. Little progress had been made. Yet, within weeks, Air pollution has almost dropped by half in some cities. Now, when the air is cleaner than ever, we are trapped in our own homes, unable to enjoy the fresh air.

There are many little things that I have taken for granted over the years that I have missed during these weeks of lockdown. First and foremost, I have missed my friends dearly. Video apps and calls aren’t the same as face to face contact.

Simple visits to the park are now impossible, which is unfortunate when the sky is unclouded and beautiful. Now we are left to bask in the heat within our own back gardens.

Supermarket visits have become scarce in my household; we have opted to go once every two weeks. The supplies in the shops have depleted severely - eggs and flour, for example, are arduous to get. I am fully sympathetic that your supplies need to last two weeks, but please be aware that some products are limited - don’t binge-buy.

Restaurants have now closed and my heart is with anyone who has lost their job due to the virus. I miss the flexibility of going to a restaurant or grabbing a sandwich for lunch.

Surprisingly, I have missed school - I never thought I would say this. Online school isn’t the same and I have felt a sense of isolation and loneliness. Furthermore, the system seems to crash every now and again, making it difficult for learning.

Our GCSE and A-Level exams are now cancelled. For those who aren’t aware, GCSE exams are taken at age 15 or 16 and signify the end of secondary school in the UK. A-level exams are taken at age 17 or 18 at the end of school. These exams are vital for university applications. The news isn’t anything new, but affected me personally. I was supposed do my GCSEs at the end of this year, but now find myself with an abundance of time. I was heartbroken when I heard the news - two years of hardwork amounted to nothing. However, I tried to be more optimistic; now I get more time to spend with my family (and books!)

The lockdown has really changed my perspective on several aspects of everyday life. Simple things are now more challenging. However, I fully understand the necessity of the precautions, I only hope that we will get through the pandemic safely.

This week has been mundane, the days have merged together and time seems to have slipped past my finger tips. I have crossed four weeks in self-isolation - one month! Honestly, it hasn’t felt like that and I feel that I have kept my motivation up during these weeks. I am trying to make the most of the time I now have. I enjoy art and so for a family member’s birthday I drew a family portrait. It is very large in size - an a1 sheet of paper. It was a laborious process and took a long time, but completion was rewarding.

I spent some time reading. I have been trying to work my way through several series that I enjoyed when I was younger, particularly ‘Percy Jackson’ as a new book is coming out in the summer. I want to re-read the Harry Potter series, particularly the last couple of books - I don’t really like his early adventures as the characters seem immature. I have started the Sherlock Holmes series as they are free on the iBooks store. A lot of classics are free, like ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ or ‘Pride and Prejudice.’ If you are an avid reader this might be a great, free way to occupy yourself.

My brother and I, for some reason, are closer than ever. We have gone from being at each other’s throats to discovering that we have a lot in common. Now that my exams are cancelled, I can spend the time, that he has been demanding, playing games with him. This week, our den continues to live on, but we have yet to spend a movie night in it. Perhaps, we will tomorrow with the film ‘Emperors New Groove.’ I have heard mixed reviews about the film, but I hope that we find it interesting.

For another week, we were blessed with an unclouded sky. I, again, found myself in the garden and enjoyed the fresh April air. I played cricket with my dad and brother and discovered that I am not great at it. However, it was entertaining.

Have you been up to anything else?

Anyway, this concludes this week’s blog post.

Stay at Home and Stay safe. Prevent the spread of the virus.