English 10

There are a lot of things I miss about pre-COVID life. I miss seeing my friends and some of my family. I miss going to school, going out to eat, or going to the park with my little cousins. I miss human contact. But out of everything, I mostly miss the commonality, the reliability of everyday life. I miss going to school, the feel of having a schedule, the predictability of it. I miss the structure that we don’t even realize is there. I miss having a time to work and a time to relax. When you know what’s next, there’s something to hold on to. Something to look forward to. In quarantine everything blurs together. Time becomes nothing but a social construct. There is no reason that I should work now, or I should sleep now, or I should do anything. Pre-COVID, there was familiarity and hope. You make plans, you dream, you imagine. You work when you need, and use the rest of your time to relax. You feel good, even when you’re working, because you know that you have something to look forward...

I have been in quarantine for 31 days. On March 16th, I went out with two friends. On March 17th, I went to Ambleside with them. Later that day, it was announced that school would be closed indefinitely, and a state of emergency was declared across B.C. I leave my house once a day to walk my dog, walking the same basic route, only taking a different path when I need to avoid getting too close to another. At the start of this, me and my friend were talking, and the biggest thing was that we would get through this together. Now, we can't even see each other, and we barely have contact. I have regular calls with one friend, but its hard to keep in touch when everything blurs together. I know that we are supposed to try and separate the days, but it's hard, and I don't know if I can. I have a lot of work to do, but it's all spaced out, but now I can't stop working, and if I do, I feel bad about not doing work. My aunt gave birth to my baby cousin a few weeks ago, and I ...

Since grade 6, I have been in taekwondo, and it's one of the best things I've ever done. I have worked my way up to a purple belt, which means I am over half way to a black belt. I take lessons every Monday, and was hoping to go in on Wednesdays as well, but now with the pandemic, I don't get either. The centre that I do it through is amazing. The community is really kind, and so is the teacher. The class I go to has a wide range of ages, skill levels, and overall diversity. I've met a number of friends through the program, such as Hazel, or Leon. Hazel is a purple belt as well, and she is the same age as me. We've found we have a lot in common, including some of the friends we share, as I know them from soccer. Leon is a recommended black belt, meaning he has one more test and then he will be a black belt. He's been really helpful in helping me learn different combinations, and he's really kind about it. But more importantly, taekwondo has taught me a lot. ...